No Major Harm
by Shaitanah
Summary: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU... and they change places! Sasuke/Naruto Please R&R!
1. Breaking In

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU![Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Kishimoto Masashi is too cool to be true. Lyrics from _Journey Home_ by Rabindranath Tagore.

**A/N**: This insane thing started with me wondering what a meeting between Naruto as we know him and the original Naruto as Kishi portrayed him in Chapter 0 would be like. Ultimately, it grew into this. I took the liberty of developing the world from Chapter 0 because it's hard to judge what it's like based only on 45 pages. I hope you'll enjoy. In case you're unfamiliar with Chapter 0, it can be found at Onemanga . com.

* * *

**NO MAJOR HARM**

**Chapter 1**

_**Breaking In**_

_The question and the cry `Oh, where?' melt into tears of a thousand  
streams and deluge the world with the flood of the assurance `I am!'_

_**Myoubokuzan**_

"Look inside yourself," old man Fukasaku had said. "It's a very important part of your training. It will help you understand what you really want. You will see things far more clearly then."

In Naruto's most humble opinion, he knew exactly what he really wanted. To stop the Akatsuki, to get Sasuke back and finally set to achieving his ultimate goal: become Hokage. But obviously, his toad mentor had other ideas. Thus Naruto had gone 'looking inside himself', and that was exactly what he had been doing for the past three hours.

He was never keen on philosophy, and Fukasaku's metaphors had given him the wrong impression. He almost imagined giving himself an autopsy to study the arrangement of his internal organs. Knowing Fukasaku, it could have gone precisely this way – the toad seemed to have a certain liking for the training that involved jokes about death.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a lot simpler. Fukasaku had led him to a cave on the far side of Myoubokuzan and told him to walk in.

"What will I see there?" Naruto had asked doubtfully.

The toad had knitted his bushy eyebrows and said nothing.

Eerie bluish darkness reigned inside the cave. Naruto's breath came out in puffs of white smoke, thick and visible to the eye. He gulped down nervously. The air reeked of swamp filth, but over the time he had spent on the Mountain of Wandering, Naruto had grown accustomed to dampness.

As the fourth hour of his pointless wandering began, Naruto was getting cranky. Obviously the toads here had a pretty sick sense of humour. Just like the last time after the use of the oil when Fukasaku refused to hit him with the staff until Naruto's features mutated completely into the frog's snout! Get in touch with your inner frog, Fukasaku had said.

Covered in mire and mud from head to toes, Naruto was about to declare out loud for the whole world to hear that he wasn't going to lose any more time doing nothing when a sudden movement in the mist caught his attention. Naruto stiffened. Uh-huh! With a skillful motion he extracted the kunai out of his pouch and took up a battle stance. Whoever was lurking in the mist was going down the moment Naruto saw him.

The dark shape showed up again, if only for a few seconds, but that was enough. Naruto lunged forth, greyish rags of mist floating dizzyingly around him.

His opponent blocked the attack silently. Fighting in such thick fog at zero-zero reminded him inexplicably of his first mission in the Wave Country. Naruto gritted his teeth.

"Show yourself, you bastard!"

A handful of sharp battle needles tore through the mist. Naruto moved speedily to dodge them. He produced a couple of clones and attempted to surround the opponent. One of the clones vanished almost instantly; the other was taken down shortly afterwards. It felt like the opponent could predict his actions well.

The duel continued on equal footing for quite a long time. Every now and then flashes of orange and black and yellow would blaze through the mist. Realizing it was pointless to take on one another in that manner, they paused for a short while to catch their breath.

As the mist dissipated, Naruto caught a better look of his opponent's face. It was a boy about his age, slightly lankier and a bit taller (heck no, he was just standing on an eminence!) – but altogether, they were completely the same.

Naruto gaped at him.

The same electric blue eyes. The same wild yellow hair. The same black-and-orange outfit. The same warm, tanned skin. Even the whisker-marks across both cheeks!

Fukasaku hadn't warned him about _this_.

Outraged, Naruto balled his fists.

"Who the hell are you!?" he demanded. "This is the lamest Henge I've ever seen! Nothing like me! And, oi! What's with the goggles? I stopped wearing those years ago!"

Come to think of it, it was really funny to see his old green pilot goggles across the stranger's forehead. He almost forgot he used to wear them. But what kind of an enemy would know such an insignificant detail?

"You moron!" the doppelganger blurted out. The voice that came out of his mouth was undoubtedly Naruto's voice which left the youth even more disgruntled. "You calling me a Henge? Take a look at yourself! Who do you think you are to copy me like that?!"

So the bastard had the nerve to insist he was the real one! Naruto sneered.

"Who do I think _I_ am? I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the Hidden Leaf's number one loudest, most surprising and simply most awesome shinobi! And it's future Hokage! That's who I am!"

"Ninja?" the impostor snorted. "What are you, in kindergarten?"

Naruto knitted his eyebrows. This guy was positively yanking his chain.

"And Uzumaki Naruto is who I am!" he declared suddenly. "Resident of the great Mount Oinari, currently on a long-term survival training."

Naruto lowered his hand, still holding a kunai, automatically. To his knowledge, there weren't any other mountains near Myoubokuzan. In any case, he had never heard of Mount Oinari; yet the impostor spoke of it like the name should have instantly rung a bell. And maybe it did – somewhere in the deepest corners of his subconsciousness. Naruto reviewed his latest thoughts and dreams mentally. No clues.

"That training," he murmured almost perplexedly. "What is it?"

"Huh! Like I'd tell a measly look-alike such as yourself!" the stranger laughed. It earned him a glare; but Naruto wasn't about to attack again just yet. No; Fukasaku had wanted him to look closely, and that was precisely what he was going to do.

"What's that thing on your forehead?" the impostor asked, suddenly interested.

Naruto brought his hand up to his forehead protector in a brief, almost instinctive gesture. A small smile crossed his lips.

"It's a symbol. That I'm Konoha's ninja."

The youth cocked his head. He seemed to consider the statement for a few seconds and then dismissed it with contempt.

"Ninja, that's just lame."

Naruto bit his lip. "Okay, what's _not_ lame, in your opinion? What do you do, _Naruto_?"

His own name, addressed to another person, suddenly seemed foreign to him. It infuriated him; he had always loved his name. It was _his_ name and no one else's.

But maybe things weren't so bad after all. This guy just couldn't be real. The whole 'look inside yourself' quest must have meant just that. Meeting another part of yourself or something like that.

If so, this was the part of him that Naruto intensely disliked.

He never thought it could be possible.

The other Naruto scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. As he grinned a bit bashfully, the whisker-marks stretched across his cheeks, and the similarity between the two became even more alarming.

"I'm, well… kind of unemployed at the moment," the stranger admitted and then added hastily: "But I'm working on it!"

Naruto burst out laughing. The situation seemed more and more improbable. A dream. Of course! It must be a dream. A pretty strange, realistic, freakish dream – but a dream nonetheless. And if it was a dream, then he could relax and pretend things were completely normal because dreams are known for their inconsistence.

Naruto lowered himself on a moss-covered stub and set to scrutinizing his opponent's face, illuminated by the faint greenish light coming seemingly from nowhere. Silence hung heavily between them.

'Please, just say something already!' Naruto prayed silently – and couldn't understand why he wouldn't start a conversation himself. Something about this person (the person who had his face, his voice, his mannerisms, even his old green goggles!) greatly unsettled him.

"So what's your story?" the other Naruto asked at last.

"I'm on a spiritual quest," Naruto replied. 'Damn, it sounds cooler than it is!' "To, uh… master the natural energy."

A loud snort followed.

"You too, huh?"

They found themselves looking at each other – calmly, studiously, and little by little they leaned into each other, brushed their fingers through each other's hair (which stuck up the identical way), tentatively touched the roughened skin of the whisker-marks, examined the details of their outfits.

"This is so cool," the stranger exhaled almost reverently, his cautious hostility completely swept away.

Naruto grinned and laughed quietly as the grin that mirrored his own came upon the stranger's face. Their faces were so close that their breath that came out in thick puffs mixed.

Suddenly the other Naruto jumped up and raised his fist triumphantly.

"I know! Oh, wow! It's so simple really!"

Naruto arched his eyebrows. "It is?"

"Of course! Don't you see!? We look the same and bear the same names, yet somehow we are different. We come from different places, do different things… We're from parallel worlds!"

Naruto choked on the inhale. Okay, that was insane – even for Fukasaku!

"Y-yeah… ri-ight!"

The stranger seemed to be greatly inspired by his idea. He flung himself in front of Naruto, grasped him by the shoulders and gave him a light shake.

"No-no-no, that totally explains everything! Some things about us match, others don't. That's how parallel worlds work!" He seemed to have remembered something and pointed at his forehead with agitation. "Hang on! The goggles! You recognized them, right?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "That's 'cause I used to wear them before I got my forehead protector."

"Well, I've been wearing them my entire life. You got demons in your world? Demons would do something like this."

Naruto couldn't keep from laughing. He doubted that demons would concern themselves with setting up a meeting between two Narutos (unless the demons of the other Naruto's world were different and actually did have a sense of humour); yet it wasn't entirely a bad thing, and soon he was ready to thank whoever did this heartily.

Their bodies shaking with irrepressible laughter, the boys slid down into the warm moss and sprawled there, looking up at the smoky emptiness above them. Then they began to talk, timidly and warily at first, as if still conversing with an enemy and fearing to divulge too much. They grew bolder rapidly, interrupted each other, started and finished each other's sentences, laughed in unison and marveled at how the tiniest details of their lives sometimes matched, even though the bigger picture wasn't generally the same.

Both of them loved ramen. Both of them grew up alone and trying to attract attention by pulling pranks. Both of them invented Sexy no Jutsu. And finally both of them had been orphaned as a result of a huge battle shortly after their birth. It seemed the Nine-Tails existed in that world as well. Naruto opened his mouth to ask if the other Naruto was a Jinchuuriki too – but for some reason he didn't dare.

It felt good to forget the world outside the cave for a while. Naruto was sure his companion felt the same. Now that he didn't scowl or try to pick up a fight, it became obvious how tired he looked. Even… sad.

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto risked asking. "How's he doing?"

And as the other Naruto turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised quizzically, and wondered, "Sasuke who?", his world collapsed.

There was _no_ Sasuke in that world.

Or at least, no Sasuke in the other Naruto's life.

Naruto pondered the news and the upheaval it had caused. Life without Sasuke – what was it like? Life without a constant chase, without heartache and strife.

The youth was eying him expectantly. Naruto took a deep breath and spilled their story out. The lonely childhood, the arrogance and jealousy and rivalry, the first mission, the first words of acknowledgement, the battles and two and a half years of persistent training – to become stronger, to become _better_, to keep up and to find him. And the last meeting, and the brief moment in the forest, and the circle of black fire, and frustration at how late they had come to the battlefield between the two Uchiha brothers…

The other Naruto kept quiet throughout the story. His eyes grew darker though, almost the colour of an evening sky.

"This Sasuke guy," he said slowly after Naruto was finished. "Man, he sucks!"

Naruto stared him. That was… unexpected. He opened his mouth to protest, not really knowing what he had to say in defence of Sasuke (because on some level the stranger was right, but Naruto hadn't thought that way since… well, since before they were friends). The other Naruto interrupted him with a hasty gesture.

"Look, friends are really not my speciality. I mean, I've only had one major task in three years; that is, to find a friend I could trust completely and bring him to Mount Oinari. I've met a handful of really cool people, but no one really fits this description. The Friend, you know, the kind that you say this Sasuke person is to you. I may not know much about friendship, but even I can see: he's not the one."

"Haven't you been listening?"

"Yeah, I have, and that's the point! Where's friendship in this? If there's anything I know about friendship, it's that it's meant to be good. It's supposed to make you feel good. This guy? All he's ever done is hurt you."

Naruto's eyebrows met in a slight frown. A moment later his face brightened into a huge grin.

"But that's the meaning of this!" he said gently, his eyes filled with that special kind of warmth that shone there every time he would think of Sasuke. "It makes me feel alive, and I'm grateful for that. If I don't hurt, how do I know I live?"

The answer startled him – perhaps more than it did the other Naruto. Both of them kept quiet for a while, lost deep in their own thoughts. At last the stranger sighed and sprang up on his feet, smiling.

"Hey, d'you reckon we could be going home now? Personally I think my quest is over."

Naruto nodded energetically. This was way more than Fukasaku could ever have planned for him to find.

He wanted to say something, to assure the stranger that maybe he'd find his own 'Sasuke' yet (it was strange to see those sad and furious and blazing eyes on a face so similar to his own), but when he turned to look at him, there was nothing but mist. Once again, it obscured everything. Once or twice it seemed like there was some kind of movement to his right or to his left; Naruto spun around but couldn't detect anything.

As the cloud of mist closed in on him, Naruto shivered. Now that was a bizarre experience…

Something slurped wetly beneath his foot. The youth squinted. The soil was gradually becoming drier, though damp mossy patches still glimmered with their ghostly greenish light here and there. The air sizzled quietly as if saturated with electricity like it happens sometimes before a thunderstorm.

When it cleared up at last, Naruto found himself standing at the mouth of a cave. The sound of dripping water vaguely disturbed the stillness.

Naruto inhaled deeply and stepped out into the sunlight – and squeezed his eyes shut promptly, so bright and blinding the light was. When he looked again, he saw a beautiful valley laid out below. Rice fields flowed continuously down the slopes of a majestic mountain ridge that dominated the skyline (Naruto was standing quite near the top of the highest mountain). The valley looked like a choppy sea of breathtaking shades of green. Curved roofs peeked through its rich masses, sparkling with the colours of rainbow whenever sunlight would illumine them.

Naruto held his breath. Never in his life had he seen a place quite so beautiful. Yet…

"This is definitely not Myoubokuzan," he whispered numbly.

His uneasiness grew as he took a hesitant step forth and nearly tumbled off the cliff into the splashes of verdure.

'Ouch!'

He climbed back on the plateau in front of the dark mouth of the cave and looked around again, still hoping somewhere inside that this might all be a dream. 'No need to panic,' he told himself decidedly. This might have been just another side of Myoubokuzan, something the toads wouldn't show him before. Then again, it could be a sacred place which he really had no right to intrude in – and if they found out… Naruto swallowed nervously – and tried to ignore the little voice that whispered in his mind that this didn't feel anything like the Mountain of Wandering.

Naruto spotted a narrow path that meandered down the slope and vanished into the moist undergrowth. Giving the cave one more tentative glance, as if making sure it wasn't going to disappear, Naruto began to walk down the path. The sun showered the fields with warm, generous light. The air was humid, though not as much as at Myoubokuzan; soft breeze rumpled the shaggy palm leaves. Naruto unzipped his sweatshirt and kept walking. For all he knew, it could still be part of Fukasaku's training.

The path wound steadily around the mountain, circling it like green paper streamer. Halfway to the other side people began to show up. They were sturdy and bronze-skinned, dressed in rough shirts and pants rolled up to their knees and wore cone-shaped straw hats to protect their heads from the sun. They stood knee-deep in the water on the flooded terrace fields. A group of women passed a few levels below Naruto, carrying huge baskets like rucksacks. One of them was singing a slow, melodious song in a bored voice.

At first the labourers seemed to ignore Naruto. They continued their work just as peacefully as before. Naruto stopped, wondering if he should ask them the name of this place. A few pieces of rock crumbled from beneath his foot and poured down into the rice. A dog that he hadn't noticed before yelped nervously. When he lifted his head to look at it, the animal whimpered and darted back to its owner, then turned its head back to Naruto and snarled.

A few labourers looked up, shook their heads and returned to work. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but noticed all of a sudden that one of the women with baskets (the one who was singing before) was now scrutinizing him. Her posture spoke of silent reproach and impatience: as if she really wanted him to leave, but didn't dare tell him to. She looked so tired and so unfriendly that for a moment he was torn between an impulse to help her or to run away.

The woman cast her eyes downward humbly. Naruto continued walking without a word.

Taking a low dip into the fields, the path soon wound upwards again. It went almost a full circle around the body of the mountain and ended before a deep gully that separated it from a nearby peak. A shaky rope bridge was spun over the gully, connecting two mountains. Naruto peered down nervously. A swift fizzy current ran there amidst sharp rocks, filling the air with jolly percussion.

Naruto took a few steps back and then leapt forward. He landed on the other side of the bridge, two planks short of the ground. The bridge shook beneath his weight, and he hastened to reach the cliff before the ropes would break. A loose plank cracked under his foot and flew, spinning, down into the abyss. Naruto released a small breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

He went on through a small corridor carved through the mountain and was soon looking upon a crater-like valley dotted with cherry-trees and peach-trees. The air in here felt drier; sweet scents were not so oppressive. Naruto came down into the valley and wondered if the locals would be friendlier or more willing to talk.

A symbolic gate with no fence rose on his way. As he passed through, not daring walk round it for some reason, pieces of paper covered in kanji that were attached to its top rustled timidly in the wind. A bell rang in the distance. An old man walked past Naruto without looking at him, his head bent low as he pulled a rickety old wooden trolley after him.

The dusty greyish ribbon of the main road led directly towards an imposing building with a high roof of five levels. It was a temple that looked so ancient that a mere gust of wind could seemingly crumble it to dust – yet at the same time, so solid and grounded as though it had stood there for ages, untouched by any disasters. A series of arches stood between Naruto and the temple. The closest one had a line of kanji engraved in its stone crosspiece:

MT. OINARI SHRINE

Naruto's jaw dropped. No way! That was impossible! Did it mean he had walked into a parallel world? But _how_?! The idea still seemed peculiar to him; yet it was the best way to explain this foreign place and the way it made him feel.

Astounded by the revelation, Naruto spun around and hopped back just in time to avoid bumping into a lanky bald youth wearing an orange robe, that suddenly appeared next to him. The youth dropped a stack of scrolls he had been carrying and nearly lost balance himself. Naruto bit his lip in embarrassment and hurried to help the youth collect them. To his surprise, this only made things worse. The youth snatched the scrolls away from Naruto and stared at him with undisguised animosity.

"Watch where you're going, freak!"

"Erm… sorry?" Naruto mumbled, too dazed to react to the insult. 'What is it with everyone here? Like they all hate each other!'

The bald youth rose and smoothed his robe, then gave Naruto another glare.

"I wish you'd just go," he spat with contempt. "You being here does nobody any good–."

"Takahashi!" a cool voice interjected. "Don't you have business to attend to?"

The youth's face changed at once, but his eyes still harboured the same dark resentment. He straightened his load of scrolls and walked away to join a group of identical-looking men in orange robes that had just emerged from one of the outhouses. It dawned upon Naruto that they must have been monks of some kind.

He looked around to find the owner of the voice. It belonged to a handsome young man with an imprint of boredom upon his face. His long brown hair was sleek and straight at the front but stuck up wildly at the back as if it had never met a hairbrush. He wore the same orange garment as the monks but had an additional strap of raspberry red thrown over his shoulder.

His face seemed slightly familiar to Naruto. At first he paid no attention to that (everything here seemed only _slightly familiar_ – he wondered if it was part of the traveling between worlds process).

"What's up, Naruto?" the monk asked in a tired voice. "You're not picking on Takahashi again, are you? I think he's had enough already."

"_I_'m not picking on anyone!" Naruto protested. "What's that guy's problem anyway?"

The monk snorted softly. "I should say, you. He gets this buzz every summer, knowing you'll be around. Fortunately, summer's almost over."

Naruto didn't understand half of it, but that was beyond the point anyway. This new guy seemed nice. It would hardly hurt to ask him for help.

"Hey, could you tell me who's, uh… in charge of spiritual quests here?" Naruto fired off. It sounded awkward, but in his mind spiritual quests were no different from normal missions – and in that case someone had to be in charge.

The monk arched his eyebrows.

"Guess the cave's been a bit too much for you," he noted. "Let's go see the Chief. He was looking for you anyway."

'Looking for _me_? Oh… right! They think I'm that other guy!'

It felt strange to be mistaken for… well, for himself, in general. Naruto strolled beside the monk, examining his face from the corner of his eye, trying to place where he could have seen him before.

"Oh boy," the young man sighed. "Aren't you troublesome, Naruto?"

The ninja froze in midmotion.

"Sh-shikamaru?!"

The monk looked at him in confusion and scoffed. "So you looked so bewildered because you were trying to remember my name? Oh yeah, so many syllables!"

"No! I–. I didn't forget! It's just… Your outfit! And your hair! And–."

"Been like that for the past three years," Shikamaru frowned. "Funny you should forget that, seeing as I'm the only person who actually talks to you here."

Naruto cringed. Obviously the other guy had a really lousy life…

Okay, time to panic! Naruto shivered at the thought of being stuck in this world, in this life, in this _persona_. He had to find a way out – _now_!

"Relax, I'm cool," Shikamaru smirked. "The cave, sometimes it really gets to you."

Naruto smiled sheepishly. Some things never changed: Shikamaru had always been a nice guy, even though he hid it well beneath the mask of detachment and indifference.

They passed the last arch and entered the spacious hall inside the temple. The first thing to have captured Naruto's attention was a magnificent tapestry spread out over the farthest wall. It portrayed the familiar shape of the monstrous Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that unclenched its jaws in a hungry snarl. Between its tails there crept columns of text, too small for Naruto to read from where he stood, but he figured it must have been the local relation of the battle against the Fox. Above each tail there was a small round patch with a face embroidered upon it. Nine faces altogether, some young, some old and wrinkled.

An old man garbed in a white robe was sitting on the dais in front of the tapestry. Shikamaru nudged Naruto, indicating he should come closer.

'So this Chief guy,' Naruto thought curiously, 'he's like a Hokage? And if Hokage is the coolest ninja, then Chief is what, the coolest _monk_?'

The Chief bore a striking resemblance to the Third. His face was noble and kind, even though he attempted to mask it with solemn disapproval in his eyes. Wrinkles and also several vertical blackish lines that might or might not be scars distorted the smoothness of his features. His jet-black hair, streaked profusely with grey, stuck up in a funny way, and so did his beard.

The Chief cleared his throat.

"So, Naruto. Let us check this summer's statistics, shall we? Foolish pranks pulled – eighteen. Cruel jokes played – one. Insulting the villagers – too many times to count. Vandalizing the property of the shrine – twice. Annual vandalizing of the memorial tapestry – once. As you can see," he pointed at the tapestry significantly, "we have already fixed it. Now I've been wondering about this year, Naruto. Why so tame?"

Naruto stared at the Chief blandly. That strongly reminded him of himself before he graduated from the Academy. Terrific! Not only did the other Naruto continue with that obsolete fashion, wearing the goggles, but he was also a huge pain in the neck for everybody. No wonder the whole Mount Oinari seemed to hate him.

'Definitely not staying here.'

"Is he all right?" the Chief asked, misled by Naruto's silence. Shikamaru shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

"Must be the cave."

"Oh yeah, about the cave–!" Naruto blurted out, but before he could continue, the Chief thundered:

"Don't tell me you've vandalized the cave as well!" Naruto shook his head in bewilderment. The Chief hunched his shoulders and breathed out: "You're going to be the death of me, brat. It hasn't been a day in these sixteen years that I haven't cursed myself for taking you in."

Seeing the tired, mellow look on his face, it wasn't easy to believe this statement. Naruto grinned cheekily.

"Nah, you don't think that!"

"Of course I don't! Never in my life have I questioned my own reason!"

Naruto snorted. He was beginning to like the geezer.

"Well, I can see the experience you had in the cave has affected you," the Chief said contentedly and went on, preventing Naruto from asking his question again: "Seeing as it is the last day of summer, I would rather have you leave now before you have reverted to your usual self and given us a parting gift to remember until the next year. You can collect your payment for the summer work at the Treasury. Bye-bye!"

'Screw respect!' Naruto thought, not planning to give up so easily. 'It's my dreams that are at stake here.'

"Listen here, old man!" he bellowed as he jumped up to the dais and grasped the Chief by the front of his robe. "I only need to ask you one question and I damn sure want a straight answer! When I was in that cave, something happened to me–."

The Chief's hand flew up and shut Naruto's mouth. "Don't even try to tell me what you saw! That is for your eyes only, and I will not have you infringe upon the ancient laws again!"

"Oi, geezer!" Naruto exclaimed, exasperated. "I wasn't gonna tell you anything! I just need to know if there's any way I could repeat the thing that happened to me there."

They stared at each other for a long intense moment. Shikamaru, whom they had already nearly forgotten about, rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Oh, bother."

"It won't work," the Chief said gravely.

"But–."

"No buts."

"And if I–?"

"No."

"But–!"

"No!"

"But I _need_ it to work!" Naruto whined.

"I said no!" the Chief exclaimed.

'Okay, to hell with this! I'll just go and see for myself!' Naruto thought stubbornly.

He rushed out of the temple, ignoring the Chief's scream. He ran at his top speed through the arches and the gateway and the corridor, over the gully, up the winding path past the rice fields – until he finally reached the cave. He broke in, looking around wildly.

Nothing. No mystic fog, no sudden cool breeze – just a small, dry, low-hanging mountain cavern.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

Stuck. _Here_. In this unfriendly strange world in a monastery where everyone seemed to hate him. Back in the vortex of loneliness. Without his fellow shinobi, without his battles to fight.

Without Sasuke.

Naruto gritted his teeth. Ha! Like he would voluntarily let it happen!

The passage must have sealed itself off after he exited the cave. So what? Naruto would just have to make a new one. A clone popped up next to him; together they began moulding the Rasengan.

"Won't work, huh?" Naruto scowled. "Watch me!"

He drove the shining blue sphere into the hard rock, boring deep into the heart of the mountain. Chips of rock bounced back in his direction. There was nothing. A low growl gurgled at the back of Naruto's throat. He would _not_ give up!

Blinded by sudden fear, he continued delivering the blows. He hadn't mastered the natural energy yet. He hadn't avenged Ero-sennin. He hadn't kissed Sakura-chan, for heaven's sake! Hadn't brought Sasuke back! Hadn't become the Hokage!

He could not stay here!

Someone grasped him by the shoulders and pulled him back. He released the half-finished Rasengan; it skidded over the deformed wall of the cave, tossing the shattered pieces of stone all around him. Naruto fell backwards, throwing punches without looking. His opponent straddled him, restricting his movements. Naruto sniffed. Something warm and wet dribbled down his lips, and his nose hurt.

"What do you think you're doing?" his opponent growled. As the smog cleared away, Naruto recognized Shikamaru.

"Get off me!" he blurted out.

"Not before I see you have calmed down."

Naruto willed himself to relax. He had never felt so powerless in his life.

"You don't get it," he said wearily. "I'm not from around here! This may seem crazy, but I really need to get back. It's a matter of life and death."

To his surprise, Shikamaru instantly released him.

"I know."

Naruto scrambled back on his feet and stared at him in astonishment. "You do?"

"Of course you're not one of us, Naruto! But face it, you can't get back now. And the Chief told you the truth: the cave only works once. This isn't your way anymore."

Naruto slammed his fist into the ruined wall angrily. Shikamaru caught him by the hand when he intended to it again and smiled sympathetically.

"But what can I do?" Naruto whispered in a choked voice.

"Wait, I guess. In the meantime, here's your fee." The monk produced a weighty purse and handed it to Naruto. "Go back to the city, do what you do all year round and come back next summer. The answer will come to you when you least expect it."

Naruto smiled in spite of himself. This world sure did some changes to Nara Shikamaru!

Clutching the purse in his hand incoherently, Naruto dragged himself back on the winding path – and there it suddenly hit him. He looked over his shoulder, slightly embarrassed, and drew out:

"Uhm… which way exactly is the city?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

* * *

The road to the city was long and took several hours. Shikamaru had walked him down to the village where an old man agreed to drive him on his old tinkling cart. By the end of the uncomfortable ride Naruto's body ached all over. He decided that next time he should run because clearly he could run much faster than the cart went.

The old man put him off silently at the foot of the mountain range and trudged on. After a while the sound of his cart died down in the distance. The sun blazed high in the sky, and the last summer heat shivered on the ground.

Naruto stuck his hands into his pockets and walked slowly along the dusty road. He wondered if people farther from Mount Oinari who didn't know him would be as unwilling to show him the way. So far, however, there were no people at all.

A shabby wooden building found room for itself on the roadside. It had only one wall; a few pillars made of whole tree trunks supported a holey roof laid out with palm leaves. Behind the building, as far as the eye could see, there stretched low bushy hillocks.

Something beeped behind Naruto. He looked back and jumped to the roadside instantly. An old rusty transport wheeled heavily towards the wooden building and stopped right next to it. Naruto had never seen anything quite like it. The door opened by itself, and Naruto saw a gruff-looking man with a cigarette clenched between his teeth. The man looked at him indifferently and asked hoarsely:

"To the city?" Naruto nodded. "Well, get in. Watcha waitin' for?"

Naruto craned out his neck. He could see people sitting inside the transport through its turbid windows. Fighting off his doubts, he climbed inside. The door slid shut behind him. The driver cleared his throat and pointed at a small price-list that was plastered to the windscreen. When Naruto counted off the required sum and strolled to the seat, the transport swayed and moved on. It was rather unexpected and the noise was overwhelming. Naruto gripped the handrail under the ceiling to keep on his feet and slowly lowered himself on the empty seat at the back. Leaning his shoulder against the window, he watched as the scenery changed around him and tried to be more optimistic about his situation: after all it was a whole new world, the likes of which no one among his peers had ever seen.

'I'll find a way back,' he told himself confidently. 'I _will_ for sure! After all, I'm the most awesome ninja in the world. And I probably deserve a little vacation. Besides, it's a new place, so maybe time here flows in a different way. I might come back in a month and see that it's been only a minute at Myoubokuzan. You wait for me… Sasuke.'

The heat and the monotonous tinkling of the clumsy transport in addition to these thoughts lulled Naruto to sleep. He woke up a while later, having been snapped back to reality by a lengthy honking. One by one the passengers were leaking out of the transport. Naruto rubbed his eyes wearily, sprang up and darted out in the street.

His breath caught in his throat.

Long after the strange transport was gone, he still stood at the crossing of the street, staring wildly at the life boiling up around him. This was by far the biggest town Naruto had ever seen. Its streets were paved with something akin to stone, and hundreds of wheels ploughed them at full speed. Crowds of people hurried to and fro; loud music pealed elsewhere; all kinds of smells flowed in the air, and the buildings were so tall Naruto couldn't see their tops. He gaped at the landscape around him, unable to believe this was not a dream.

"Wow," he breathed finally.

That was all he could say for now. The thing that bothered him most was how he would find his apartment in the city so big.

His stomach made a low grumbling noise, reminding Naruto that he hadn't eaten anything since morning. Since… Myoubokuzan. Naruto compressed his lips. Seemed like it was so long ago…

A signboard shone affably across the street. Naruto looked closer and cried out with joy. It said:

ICHIRAKU RAMEN

A huge grin lit up Naruto's face. He darted across the street, narrowly avoiding collision with one of the cars. 'Ha-ha, well, looks like it's gonna be easier to survive in this world than I thought!' he said to himself cheerfully, flopping on the seat at the counter.

"Hey, old man!" he called. "May I have–?"

A bowl of steaming miso-ramen was placed cautiously in front of him. Naruto goggled his eyes at the smiling bartender.

"Saw you as soon as you got off the bus, Naruto," the old man explained. "Figured you'd drop by. Always a pleasure when a regular returns after a two-months break."

Naruto smiled coyly. The ramen proved to be just as delicious as he remembered it; that lightened his mood considerably. The old man acted amiably and asked him questions about his summer. Naruto wondered if he knew where he lived by chance – though asking a near-stranger such a question would look really stupid.

As his meal was over, his face darkened again. The day was drawing to a close, and he had no idea where to go in this boundless city. He could rent a room, but he didn't know how many nights his money would cover. And the prospect of living in the street was less than appealing.

"Hey, Ichiraku! I'm on the rocks today," a female voice called. A woman, whom Naruto had been too distracted to notice before, was rummaging through her purse with a doomed expression. "Mind if it's on credit?"

"You're always on the rocks, Utagawa-san!" the old man laughed from the kitchen. "You know where the book is."

The woman chuckled, reached behind the counter and produced a small book in soft cover. Vaguely interested, Naruto leaned closer to look over her shoulder. The book contained a list of names and addresses and sums their owners apparently owed for dinner. Naruto was about to turn away when a set of familiar syllables captured his attention. He snatched the book away from the flabbergasted woman and peered at the address insatiably.

"Mind your own business, brat!" the woman said, coming to her senses, and reclaimed the book.

Naruto flashed her a mad grin, tossed the money on the counter and hurried back into the crowded street, crying out, "Thank you!" to no one in particular. Utagawa-san saw him off with a strange look.

According to the questioned passers-by, the street where Naruto's house was located wasn't very far from the ramen shop. Nevertheless, it was almost nightfall when he finally stood on the doorstep of his apartment, tired, annoyed and sleepy.

It was a compact two-storeyed building that accommodated two flats on the second floor. The one on the left belonged to Naruto. He tugged at the door hesitantly, but of course it was locked. He wondered if his own key would fit (miracles happened, after all), but it didn't. Naruto took out a kunai and picked the lock with its sharp tip. In the middle of the process he spotted an old lady in a variegated gown who was eyeing him in confusion.

"I live here," he suggested, not really knowing who he was trying to convince: her or himself. The woman snorted like that was to be expected of him and vanished into the flat on the right.

Finally the lock gave in. Naruto barged in and trotted into the bedroom without bothering to look around. The flat was no bigger than his and hardly different at all; he decided any further exploration could easily wait till morning. The room was a bit stuffy, so he opened the balcony door, collapsed on the bed and instantly fell asleep. A small part of himself retained hope that it might all be a _dream_.


	2. Dancing Days

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU![Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _O Daedalus, Fly Away Home_ by Robert Hayden.

**A/N**: Yo! First of all, thank you a million times to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter! You guys are all awesome. This time we shall see how pilot!Naruto is doing, being stuck in the ninja world. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_**Dancing**__** Days**_

_Night is an African juju man  
weaving a wish and a weariness together  
to make two wings._

_**The Hidden Leaf Village**_

The first sensation to have reached him through the dark was ache. Dull, springy, located somewhere at the back of his head. He sat up, eyes still shut, and felt the sore spot tentatively. It was damp, but not with blood: the ground he was lying on was wet, and drops of dew caught in his hair.

Sounds crashed upon him like a mountainous wave. The rustling of leaves, the howling of wind, the creaking of branches. Almost as if he were in the forest.

He sniffed the air, not too quick to trust his ears. All sorts of smells washed over him, strong, primal, natural.

Finally he opened his eyes. Imposing trunks rose all around him, burdened with heavy leafage. There seemed to be every shade of green imaginable there: from the swampy brownish green to the transparent and fresh and so bright one that it looked almost yellow. It reminded him of the vibrant colours splashed around Mount Oinari.

Naruto frowned. There were no such forests anywhere near the Great Mountain.

He inhaled deeply; this time the stench of smoke tickled his nostrils. It was distant, barely perceptible, but the way it irritated him alarmed Naruto. It didn't seem like the smoke of fire. It smelled too much like trouble.

Curious by nature, Naruto couldn't stay put. He took off in that direction as stealthily as he could. There must have been a battle; so far he could only guess this much.

A dog barked near him. A moment later a huge white beast jumped out of the thicket. It stared at him with small intelligent eyes, as if in doubt, then wagged its shaggy tail and rushed back, beckoning him to follow. Naruto blinked. It seemed too familiar.

"K-kiba!?" he exhaled in confusion. "Oh, that geezer and his stupid spiritual quests! Now my head's in such a muddle!"

As he ran after the dog, the daze in his mind began to clear away. The memories of the cave returned in dizzying flashes.

_The cave had been small at first, but it grew wider__ and longer and bigger with each passing hour._

_Clouds of mist tasted like sugary __water when he lapped at them with his tongue._

"Kiba, wait!" Naruto called.

'Why the hell is he even here!?' a thought flashed.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. Kiba and him had had dealing with each other for a very short period of time – and almost a year ago, no less. The Inuzuka clan was an old coven of shapeshifters; neither they, nor Naruto had a particular liking for each other.

_There was a face that looked like his mirror image. A voice that sounded like it came from Naruto's mouth._

Naruto froze. They were in a clearing now close to the village wall. The battle raged on inside.

_The mist swallowed everything._

'How did I–?'

Someone called him by name. Naruto crouched, ready to spring into attack if need be. Three people appeared somewhere from above and stood next to him. Two of them looked unfamiliar. He did, however, recognize the third one, and his mouth fell open.

"Kiba! B-but–." His eyes darted back to the white dog that was sniffling the air and growling quietly.

Kiba patted the dog on the withers and grinned broadly: "Well done, Akamaru." ('Akamaru!?') "Hey, Naruto! Hinata thought she saw you. Good to have you back."

Naruto's gaze traveled slowly from Kiba and his _dog_ to the long-haired girl that was shifting from one foot to another next to him. As soon as she felt Naruto watching she looked away decidedly, making him dislike her instantly (the labourers from around Mount Oinari would always avoid looking him in the eye, too). The third guy's face was completely hidden behind a high collar and dark glasses, and Naruto couldn't tell if he was looking at him or at the girl or elsewhere.

"Well, what the hell are you standing here for?" Kiba exclaimed. He gave Naruto no time to come up with an answer. He grasped him by the elbow and made a high leap and ended up on the rim of the wall. "It's the Akatsuki," Kiba added darkly.

Smokescreen hung over the village like a solid grey dome. Beneath it, Naruto could hear the sound of running, many pairs of feet flattening the ground as the people rushed to safety, crushing everything on their way like a frightened stampede. The smell of fear blocked out any other scent for a moment. Naruto wondered if it made Kiba as sick as it was making him.

Kiba continued talking, but his words didn't register. Petrified, Naruto stared at the bleared feast of destruction, the first genuine battlefield he had ever seen.

So this was _his _world. The _other_ world. He had been half-joking when this idea had come to his mind, but right now he saw that he had been right in his assumptions. The ones that had found him in the forest, after all, were all wearing the same headbands as _that_ Naruto.

"Konoha," the youth whispered under his breath, almost reverently.

Something exploded near him. The sound overwhelmed him. He inhaled shakily, nearly choking on the dust that saturated the air. A loud growl that most likely belonged to Akamaru thundered to his right. Slowly, Naruto turned his head. The dog flashed through the smoke like white lightning; its owner joined it, and together they vanished out of sight. Kiba screamed something that Naruto couldn't grasp and was gone.

As the smoke began to wear thin, a giant form of a centipede could be seen rising before the wall. Naruto stifled an outcry of shock. His limbs refused to obey him. He thought vaguely if this thing would go away should he pretend nothing was really happening.

The centipede was about to attack when a pair of hands pushed Naruto out of its way and off the wall.

"I–. I'm sorry!" a trembling voice squeaked.

Naruto gathered himself up. 'What the hell is she apologizing for?' he thought at a loss.

The dark-haired girl that was with Kiba was standing on the wall, doing some strange movements with her arms. They flew about her, as though independent on her body; streaks of blue flared amidst the grey.

She had just saved his life.

The centipede struck, enraged by the girl's attack, and tore out a piece of the wall. Everything crumbled; the girl disappeared among the ruins; and then a number of shuriken stars flew out of the smoke. The beast didn't seem to mind them at all. Still invisible to Naruto, Hinata continued to fight. A small yelp was heard, and the dust began to settle.

Naruto stood still, watching, listening, his breath irregular.

'She… She didn't–?'

He willed himself to leap forth, allowing his sharp instincts to lead him. He found her quickly; her leg got stuck between two sharp slabs of stone. The centipede was about to bring its weight down and crush them both.

Apart from the Chief who for some inconceivable reason had always viewed caring for the orphaned Naruto as his responsibility, no one had ever done anything like that for Naruto. _She had saved his life_.

Naruto slammed his fist into the rock with all his might. A spider-web of tiny cracks radiated from it. He gathered the girl into his arms and jumped.

Eternity after, he released a shaky breath and looked down on Hinata whom he was shielding protectively from the flying debris. She coughed forcibly and opened her eyes. They were whitish, as if two small pools of milk. Come to think of it, the girl was rather pretty.

"N-naruto-kun," Hinata squeezed out and blushed. She was bleeding from a shallow cut across her cheek; the blush was so intense it had nearly swallowed the stain of blood. "A-are you all right?"

Naruto suppressed the urge to snigger. Was _he_ all right!? Great question! It seemed that no one was particularly _all right_ in this world, at least not now.

He let go of the girl, somewhat embarrassed. She flushed even harder and cast her eyes downward.

'Looks like this place could use a hero,' Naruto thought smugly. 'Lucky for them, I'm here!'

"Okay! Here goes!" He readied himself for a leap, then looked back and grinned cheerfully. "Oh, by the way: thanks, Hinata!"

The girl gave a feeble nod. Fibres on her temples began to pulse fervently; the strange milky-white eyes of hers were running a scan of their surroundings. Naruto wondered if she was fully human.

"Dogs," she said a minute later. "And not the Inuzuka family or Kakashi-sensei's dogs."

Naruto snorted. He hated dogs. As if Inuzuka clan wasn't enough (he could bet they were all here)!

The dogs were huge and looked more like wolves. Naruto and Hinata stood back to back as the beasts slowly encircled them. Flocks of saliva dripped from their jaws.

"Now," Naruto whispered.

Hinata started on that strange jutsu at once without asking questions or arguing. For a moment it perplexed him: he was unaccustomed to people _listening_ to him.

He jumped out and fell upon the dogs, throwing punch after punch in his usual hectic mode. The furry typhoon crashed over him, teeth and claws all around. His thoughts were racing. 'If I could only… Nah, that would attract too much attention.'

"These are all summonses," Hinata breathed when the battle was over. "I wasn't even sure there was enough enemy to summon all of these…"

Naruto wiped the blood off his split lip briskly. "We gotta find out who controls them," he said. The scent of animal blood was making his head light.

"You were amazing… Naruto-kun," Hinata said meekly.

Naruto's attention snapped back to her. He drove the sickening sensations away, concentrating on the girl in front of him. Her eyes were wide and rapt, cheeks coloured with crimson that was a combination of her natural shyness and the fighting anxiety.

"Thanks," Naruto muttered uncomfortably. He wasn't used to compliments either.

Hinata was about to add something when her expression suddenly changed. She threw her hand up, waving at somebody.

"Sakura-san!"

Naruto cocked his head. Another girl he was supposed to know. Bright-pink hair was the first thing one would notice about her.

She came to a halt, slightly out of breath, then looked up at Naruto with her big, serious eyes. They were the purest aquamarine he had ever seen. Naruto decided she was pretty too and noted with amusement that he was beginning to envy his local counterpart.

"Naruto…" the girl said quietly, catching her breath. She looked like she couldn't choose between hugging or smacking him. Naruto took a step back in case it turned out to be the latter. "Come on," she said finally. "I think Tsunade-sama needs to see you."

She grabbed him by the hand before he could protest and dragged him on, towards a pretty ugly building in the centre of the village. Its deep red walls were covered in black scorch-marks; puffs of smoke were rising all around it.

They burst into one of the offices, practically tearing the door off the hinges. Naruto wrinkled his nose: the place must have been re-equipped into emergency hospital in haste and thus permeated with the ever-present stench of blood and sweat. Blue flashes here and there sparkled in his eye. He squinted, feeling exhausted, and leaned heavily against the wall.

'What the fuck am I doing?' he thought wearily, people in strange white clothes floating around like mere shadows. 'This isn't my battle. So why do I have to be stuck here and fight for these people?'

He had once been selfish enough to run out on them and find a new life. Carefree, secure, _lonely_. Hell, he had been selfish enough to do that only this morning! After all, that's why the Chief was always bugging him.

Naruto sighed, doomed. The image of the dark-haired girl on the wall popped into his mind again. _She had saved his life._ He wished he could just ignore it, forget it, scorch it out of his memory – so that he didn't have to feel obligated.

'Okay,' he reasoned pointedly. 'I'll win this battle for them and then I'm off. No one's making me stay here and play ninja. If that other guy is stuck in my world now, bully for him. I bet he isn't playing along either.'

Someone grabbed him by the hand, snapping him back to the dreary reality. Naruto allowed Sakura to pull him out of the room again – and into another lodging. It was smaller and blocked up with boxes and rubbish, but at least there were no patients.

Naruto turned his head to regard a woman that halted on the threshold and was looking at him.

"Sakura," she said in a soft voice that nevertheless sounded like it was used to giving orders. "Naruto and I need to talk. Leave us for a moment."

The girl nodded without objections and walked out. Naruto swallowed nervously. He didn't like the woman. She looked young, a little over twenty, but her eyes were older like they had seen too much and known the infinity of sadness. Almost like the Chief's eyes. Naruto hated looking the Chief in the eye because it made him feel ashamed for everything he'd done or would have planned to do.

"You're faster than I thought," the woman said. A small smile crossed her lips, and she added with sudden affection: "I'm glad you're here, brat."

Naruto stared at her. He sniffed the air uncertainly to check if she was a threat to him. To his surprise, the woman was _afraid_. Not of him, perhaps not even of the enemy. But something weighed heavily on her, and Naruto wanted to say something nice to comfort her, but he didn't know how much 'in-character' that would be. Besides, he was a failure at niceties. So he shrugged and drew out with false bravado:

"Well, you know me, I'm that awesome!"

The woman closed the space between them. Her gentle amber eyes gleamed wetly like she was about to cry. For some reason Naruto knew she wouldn't. Keeping up the appearance was too important in this chaos. He realized with a start she was the local Chief.

"Naruto," Tsunade-sama (right, that's what Sakura had called her) began. "Did Fukasaku mention who the attacker was?"

Naruto tensed automatically. Questions, unfamiliar names – that was disconcerting. He wondered if she was shrewd enough to figure out he was a fraud. And if she did, what would she do to him?

"The Akatsuki." He remembered Kiba saying this name and hoped this was the right answer. To his relief, Tsunade nodded gravely.

"Yes. But not just the Akastuki. Naruto… It's Pein himself." The way she said it told Naruto this couldn't be good. "I do realize how you must feel. However, right now we must put our emotions aside. This is not about vengeance and not about Jiraiya. It's about protecting our home. Jiraiya put his faith in you and so do I. I haven't believed in anyone like I believe in you for many years. You're not a weapon or a tool or a monster. You're the defender now. Go and be a shinobi."

In other circumstances Naruto would most likely have laughed at this speech. But something about the woman's voice, or her scent, or the pained look in her eyes stilled him. He met her gaze boldly and unexpectedly found himself whispering, "Okay." Then he turned his back on her and left the room. He only knew that someone named Jiraiya who was most likely already dead had put his faith in him – and screw it all, but he was going to prove that it hadn't been in vain!

Out in the streets of the village, he fought. Sometimes familiar faces would pass by, blurry because of the speed. They would vanish a few seconds later as if they had never been there. Naruto lost his orientation completely, raw instinct guiding him, overriding fear and insecurity. This way, he could vent his carnal rage without being recognized for what he really was.

He remembered one relatively peaceful night back on Mount Oinari. He must have been about ten years old, embittered and fed up with everyone rejecting him as a demon's spawn. He used to ask the Chief lots of questions about various battles the old man had taken part in, secretly hoping that one day he would run away from Mount Oinari and find a battle of his own. A battle that would change the world – and himself along the way.

"What was it like?" he had asked back then. "Fighting the Kyuubi?"

"Like tearing through a storm," the Chief had answered. "There were nine of us. I watched my friends fall one by one and I kept going because at that moment nothing mattered more than stopping the bloodshed and keeping the villages safe. It was like fighting near the end of the world. Like the entire world depended on my victory. I had to shut down my feelings and let my gut guide me."

'Gut' had seemed pretty icky to Naruto; he had made a stupid comment about how the Kyuubi would have smelled the Chief's blood much faster had he disemboweled himself.

He knew exactly what the Chief had meant. That sensation that had saved him so many times, multiplied by a thousand, guided him, shaped him, made him stronger. At some point, the world around him grew dark. There was no one but him and Pein, that strange, almost artificial man with abundant chakra and dizzying, piercing eyes.

'Lucky bastard,' Naruto thought weakly, the other Naruto's face flashing through his mind. 'He's got a place in the world to die for.'

And with that, he thought he was ready to die.

* * *

He came to in warm darkness, disturbed slightly by hushed whisperings. Numerous voices, rising and falling in his ears. He didn't want to open his eyes, but the pattern of his breathing changed and he knew they'd notice it.

A hand ruffled his hair gently. He looked at last – and his eyes entrained into Tsunade's tired eyes.

"Did I do well?" he croaked, his mouth twitching into a smile.

The woman nodded curtly. Naruto's eyelids fluttered shut again. He lay on what felt like a couch, breathing in and out evenly. No smells bothered him here. Tsunade was giving out directions in a firm, resolute voice. As soon as she was done, the place grew empty. Naruto squinted up at her.

"Three down," Tsunade said. "You killed one. Do you remember it?"

Naruto shook his head. Damn! So much for the glorious battle if he couldn't even recollect the details. Tsunade put her warm palm on his forehead. It was then that he realized his goggles were off.

"I have them here," the woman said, having guessed his thoughts by the harsh look on his face. She handed him the goggles carefully. "Where is your headband, by the way?"

"Lost it," Naruto answered a little too hastily.

Tsunade arched her eyebrows. "You deserve some rest, brat. Go home, take a nap – and a shower preferably." Naruto couldn't hold back a snort. "He won't be back. At least not today."

* * *

It was dark outside. Naruto moved his feet automatically along the streets littered with fragments of shattered rock, stained with splatters of blood. Black spots over some walls smelled like soot. Naruto had no clue of his final destination; after all, he didn't know where he was supposed to live. But that didn't bother him much.

He lifted his foot to make another step and, as he lowered it, a faint splash was heard. He looked downward. He had stepped into a small street puddle. The water in it was tinted with pink.

Everything out in these streets inspired loathing.

Shaken, he couldn't bring himself to move.

"Why?" he whispered hotly under his breath. "Such a perfect life! Friends, purpose, people ready to freaking die for you! Why would someone want to destroy it? Why is it that everywhere it's the same thing!? Wars, wars, wars–."

He ran short of breath, feeling tears well up in his eyes. It wasn't often that he would allow himself to snap like this. But this place was swelling with pain that filtered through his defenses and contaminated him.

A hand lay upon his shoulder softly. Naruto shuddered and turned his head rapidly. It was her, the pink-haired girl with green eyes. She smiled at him. Perhaps she was related to Tsunade in some way; sometimes their mannerism seemed quite the same.

"How are you feeling?" she asked sympathetically.

_Snap!_ He couldn't let himself space out like this. One slip – and they would see how different he was from the Naruto they knew.

"I'm just…" he began to say, but fortunately, Sakura saved him unwittingly.

"Sick, isn't it? You just never expect it on your own territory." She nodded towards the traces of battle. Slowly, they began to walk in some definitive direction. "No matter how many times it's happened before." She sighed. "I wanted to see you after… you know. But they whisked me away to the hospital. So many wounded."

"You're a doctor?" Naruto blurted out before he could stop himself.

Sakura cocked her head. "Very funny." He gaze drifted lower, down to the goggles Naruto was clutching in his hand. "Hey, I haven't seen those since the Academy days!"

Naruto panicked inwardly. How many mistakes could he make with one person?!

"Brings back some memories, eh?" he teased insecurely.

"Not really. You were pretty much a pain in the neck for everybody."

_Ouch._

At least some things do not change.

"But I guess so was I," Sakura added wistfully. "Happy days." It seemed to him she was about to cry.

"Say, Sakura," Naruto uttered. "This Pein guy. Why was he in the village? What does he want?"

The girl took a deep breath to smother the upcoming tears and glanced at him in mild surprise.

"That would be you, I suppose."

Naruto stumbled. O-okay, things were becoming more and more confusing.

"Me? _Why_?"

He was grateful to her when she answered without trying to analyze his strange behaviour.

"Because of the Kyuubi."

There was a slight questioning note in her tone, but otherwise she looked calm and didn't seem to take him for some alien suffering from a personality disorder.

Naruto gasped. So _that_ was the reason for all the chaos the Akatsuki caused. Cautious not to make another slip, Naruto winked at Sakura.

"They won't get him, no worries!"

"I know. I have faith in you."

They stopped short of a squat, as though shapeless building that looked like a crumpled pie without its glazing. Sakura patted his shoulder gently and, having said her good-bye and instructed him to have good rest (did they always treat him like a baby?), left. Naruto skewed his eyes upon the building. So this was his place apparently.

He walked up the crooked staircase and passed by a row of doors. So which one was his? He wrinkled his forehead and tried to think like Naruto. Hell, he _was_ Naruto, so it couldn't be that difficult!

"If it were me," he muttered thoughtfully, "I'd pick the last one."

He marched up to the last door and halted at a loss. So… how would he get in? He peeked under the rug (some people hid keys there). Nope. 'Should have learnt that smoke jutsu when I'd had a chance,' Naruto thought wryly, peering through the keyhole.

Tough luck.

Trying to come up with an alternative plan, he took a small tour around the building and discovered with satisfaction that his apartment had a balcony. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then jumped up and nestled against the window. Stupid owner of this stupid flat! Naruto never shut his windows; and these were shut! Not to mention, curtains were drawn, and he couldn't see anything.

Naruto poked the window-frame carefully. The last thing he wanted was to break it. 'Maybe it's not my place at all?' he thought, growing cold.

The balcony door creaked suddenly and slid open. How characteristic of him to remember the windows, but leave the door unlocked! Naruto exhaled slowly in relief and crouched inside the apartment, looking around wildly for any indication that it belonged to him.

The inside of this place was pretty featureless. Light, roomy, strongly resembled his own flat in the city. Dark floorboards glistened in the soft light that fell from the outside through the half-open balcony door. Naruto trod softly, unwilling to disturb the warm stillness of this place.

An old tapestry adorned with the Leaf symbol hung at the head of the bed. Naruto squirmed. Could this guy be any more patriotic? A poster on the left wall, however, caused him to grin: it depicted a large cup of noodle. 'Definitely my place!' Naruto thought and felt more secure at once.

He lowered himself on the bed, kicked his boots off and stretched out, painfully conscious of how exhausting the battle had been.

'Seems like we live a pretty good life here, huh?' he mused. 'Well, you won't be needing it anymore, Naruto, 'cause obviously you're now meeting with the joys of _my_ world. So what if I take it all for myself? It's not like this place could go a day without Uzumaki Naruto.'

He rolled to his side, trying to make himself more comfortable, and spotted a picture frame on the nightstand near the bed. He dragged it closer. It was a group portrait: three kids and a grey-haired masked man in a skewed-up headband. Smiling Sakura in the centre. Bristling Naruto to her left, bright and orange and defensive. Some moody dark-haired guy to her left. The older man's hands resting on the crowns of their heads – Naruto's and that other guy's – as if holding them in place.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered. So it was really _him_. _Sasuke_.

He put the picture back, face down, and turned his back on the nightstand. Suddenly he didn't want to sleep anymore.

* * *

In the morning the Hidden Leaf Village was alight with sparse sunlight. It swathed like golden dust over the ruins, imparting phantasmagoric colours to them.

As the day progressed, Naruto made a few small discoveries which left him pleased, curious and even a bit unnerved.

Firstly, he needed a headband. Having spent half an hour fighting off his doubts as to whether he should ask somebody where to get it or simply look for it, he gave up and questioned Tsunade. The Chief-woman seemed surprised, but nevertheless directed him to the supply department. An hour later he looked no different from the local Uzumaki Naruto.

Except for the shoes.

Naruto cursed softly. Everyone here wore weird sandal-like shoes. Not too different from Naruto's old military boots, but still. He wrinkled his nose. Why did clothing items have to be different too? He liked his goggles (it was a lucky charm) and his boots, but he would have to give them up in order not to seem suspicious.

'Perhaps I'm taking it far too seriously.'

The next thing Naruto learnt was that he didn't like funerals. Especially massive funerals. Especially those of people he didn't know. Everyone was dressed in black (and so was he since he found a 'funeral' outfit in his wardrobe). Everyone looked sorrowful, but tried not to cry. As if venting grief could be disrespectful.

After the torment was over Naruto did his best to memorize a few names. He had always been pretty bad at it, but something told him these people would frown upon 'sudden amnesia as the result of hard training' for an explanation of his newly developed quirks.

The masked man from the photograph was called Kakashi. Sakura called him 'sensei'. As far as Naruto understood, this man was neither his first 'sensei' nor the last, but none the less influential for it.

The other guy on the team, Sai, positively creeped him out. He had about as good social skills as a stone, smiled in a weird way and seemed to have a strange fixation on male reproductive organs. It took Naruto some time to deduce that he was a replacement for Sasuke who had been part of Team Kakashi before he left.

Another reason to despise Sasuke.

He also discovered with a bit of puzzlement that he liked Sakura. The girl wasn't exactly beautiful (humans never are if you look at them close enough), but she had a fiery soul and a passionate heart that reflected in earnest in her eyes – and that would take your mind off the candy floss hair, and the prominent forehead, and the – let's be honest! – flat chest, in a heartbeat.

He was inspired to discover that she seemed to like him back. She held his hand during the funeral, almost straight through the ceremony (that had to count for something) and smiled at him (as much as at anyone else, but he ignored that fact) and was clearly glad to see him when he dropped by the hospital on Tsunade's directions.

"Naruto," she said once with all the gravity a girl's look can contain, "why don't you call me 'Sakura-chan' anymore?"

_Bang-bang, you're dead!_

Another slip. Naruto chewed on his lip thoughtfully.

"Sasuke never did," he said carefully, uncertain how safe it was to bring that name up in a conversation.

"You're not Sasuke," Sakura pressed, and so he 'started' calling her that 'again', and she smiled with the corners of her lips every time he did when she thought he wasn't looking.

A few days afterwards Naruto made up his mind to kiss her. He had already figured out that she wasn't his girlfriend. That made things simpler in a way. Not knowing much about kissing, he realized, nevertheless, that it was quite an intimate act – that could have had his cover blown within an instant had they already been that close.

Of course Naruto had kissed girls before. Once or twice. By rights, when he pulled Sakura close and nipped at her lips gently (if a tad awkwardly) and grazed her lip with his teeth lightly, she was supposed to enjoy it. She pulled away at once, slapped him in the face and took her leave proudly, her back rigid as if she had swallowed a steel bar. Naruto rubbed his reddish cheek. Did he do something wrong?

What he couldn't have seen was the smile that flashed on Sakura's lips once she was safely out of sight.

His first week in the Hidden Leaf Village was all unremarkably remarkable that way. Sometimes he felt like a child learning to swim, tossed into the river and fighting the current. At other times he was a historian trying to memorize an entire period overnight. Whatever the hardships were, his life had never been more fun. That was why a silent wave of rage flooded him from head to toes the day Tsunade announced the Akatsuki were returning.

"It's not Pein this time," she went on gravely. "And they're not hiding. That means they don't count on taking us by surprise. They know for certain Naruto's here now. And that's not all." Her face darkened. "Intelligence informs Uchiha Sasuke is with them."

Sakura stiffened. Naruto stared downward, fists clenched and jaw set.

"Naruto!" Tsunade's voice rang. The youth threw his head up immediately. "Don't do anything stupid."

As they left the Hokage's office, Sakura grabbed him by elbow, eyeing him almost reproachfully.

"What's got into you?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you hear what she said? Sasuke-kun is with the Akatsuki!"

Naruto nodded slowly. He did hear her but what difference would it make? A surge of panic rolled through him. What would they do if they got to him? Why would they be looking for the Kyuubi _here_ anyway? _Where_ in this world had the Kyuubi gone? _How_ had he been defeated?

Run away – that was his last remaining option. Someplace where they couldn't find him. Somewhere safe and far away.

His chest hurt. Something about this place would not let him go. Something that made him want to defend it fiercely. Could Mount Oinari be having the same effect on _that_ Naruto?

He stayed, ignoring the survival instinct that _screamed_ at him to get out.

* * *

In a room full of shinobi of various ranks the stillness was so absolute that one could easily hear a pin fall. The sound of Naruto's heartbeat, booming and hurting, felt like a cannon volley.

The Akatsuki stood in the forest just outside the village. Watching Konoha 'sleep' while in fact, everyone was watching them.

"What are they waiting for?" Naruto asked one of the Chuunins, a guy about his age with a funny, pine-apple-like hairdo. His face looked vaguely familiar, thus debatably trustworthy.

"Us," a curt answer came. "They want us to attack first."

"Why don't we?"

"We need them on our own ground. Outside the barriers, there can be any number of them. The last recon operation failed and had no results. We go into the forest – we end up trapped while they get in and slaughter the civilians."

"But suppose they know you think this way," Naruto prodded. "What if they don't attack first?"

"They will," the ninja said categorically. "They have no choice."

It must have been the longest night in Naruto's life. Once or twice he caught himself nearly falling asleep, his eyelids drooping heavily. He hated waiting. He'd rather have it all start and end sooner.

A blonde whom he observed talking to Sakura in a whisper stood up and gestured at the Chuunin to join her.

"Meh… What now?" he muttered. The words he dropped casually afterwards made Naruto jump. "Troublesome again."

It was too late to call him back, and Naruto remained blinking in astonishment long after the Chuunin was gone.

Shikamaru.

_Holy f–._

"They're in!" a shrill voice cut the stillness.

The shinobi rose as one and poured out in the streets. It was still dark. The black, starless sky flashed scarlet for a brief instant.

"But… where are they?" someone asked.

The plan was to ambush them as soon as they entered the village – but it seemed there was no one to ambush. The alarm had gone off; that much was known. Naruto stiffened. The ground beneath his feet felt strange. As if shaking.

"They're not shinobi," Sai mouthed.

Naruto turned his head.

Bijuu.

Unleashed on the village.

He screwed his eyes shut for one painfully long instant and took a long, deep breath. When he opened them he was ready to fight.

The Leaf ninja scattered in all directions as the monstrous thing forced its way through the streets, crashing everything before it. It moved so swiftly that Naruto couldn't tell what it was – only that it had several tails that whipped fervently through the air. A mingled sense of anger and pity flooded him.

"About time to show what Fukasaku had taught you," Kakashi had told him.

Naruto had never tried going up against any of the Bijuu. To his knowledge, they were either extinct or in hiding in his world, most of them having refused to accept the human/demon pact.

'Cowards!' he thought indignantly, dancing around the raging beast along with his fellow shinobi. 'Damn easier to send _this_ forth than fight on their own.'

A swift shadow past him by. Naruto's heart leapt. _One of them_. He darted after the Akatsuki instinctively but couldn't tell which way he went. The Bijuu roared behind his back. Naruto halted indecisively.

More of them showed up. They wore the same black cloaks embroidered with red clouds as Pein. A building was on fire; its scarlet shine flickered upon their faces as they walked.

Something exploded in the distance. A few outcries were heard. The beast laid a few buildings flat and bellowed in blind rage.

Naruto lost track of time. He fired jutsu after justu at the insatiable beast and felt rather than saw his comrades fall around him; the sleeves of his sweatshirt were soaked in blood. What was going on heaped up in disconnected blocks in his mind. Flashes of fire. Sai caught in a fight with a red-haired woman. Kakashi fighting a tall, heavily-built guy. A man with a scar across his nosebridge (during his time in Konoha Naruto had managed both to learn and forget his name, but this man was supposed to be incredibly important to him) staggered back just in time to avoid getting hit by one of the Bijuu's tails.

Naruto spotted Sakura at last. They got separated in the beginning of the battle. She got set up against one of the Akatsuki, and her incredible strength proved to be nearly useless against him; he liquefied parts of his body skillfully each time he got hit.

Naruto leapt towards them. A shadow separated from one of the ruined walls; they narrowly avoided collision in the air. In flight Naruto managed to discern only a pale cheekbone, a lock of dark hair and a flash of crimson somewhere around the eye level.

His breath hitched.

He skidded over the ground, his landing unstable, and looked back. His opponent did the same. A few metres of deformed ground lay between them. The youth's Akatsuki cloak was open; a white shirt could be seen beneath it. A hand, drawn aside slightly, held a bloodied blade.

Naruto knew that face.

Uchiha smirked (or so it seemed in the deceptive glow of the fire) and continued on his way. Naruto blinked. Somewhere behind him Sakura-chan screamed, and he realized he was supposed to follow. He caught up to Sasuke quickly and blocked his way.

Their fists met wordlessly. He was fast, really fast and agile for a human. A hint of admiration seeped into Naruto's heart. The bastard was definitely _good_!

But the other Naruto never told him he was part of the Akatsuki. Shit! He probably didn't know. Lucky he wasn't here for another heartbreak, then.

The Bijuu had made it their way and was now raging in the close proximity of their own duel. Every now and then they had to dodge the swipes of its powerful tails.

Sasuke threw his hand up. Blue sparks flared around his fist. Electrical current streamed straight into Naruto, causing him to cry out in pain. He doubled over, pain jolting through every cell of his. He had never had the honour of being electrocuted before; well, that certainly was an interesting experience.

"Sasuke-kun!" a female scream rang. "Stop!"

Naruto spun around and jumped, but the lightning strike was faster. It hit Sakura flat in the chest, jolting through her heart, doubtless; she sank backwards like a rag doll. Naruto caught her in his arms. A second later a mighty tail of the Bijuu landed where he'd just stood.

She was still breathing. Her pulse was vague, but distinguishable. He entrusted her to Sai who had just made it to them and rose.

This was _personal_.

"You want a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox?" he growled, his eyes flaring red. "It's Nine-Tails you're gotta get!"

He formed the three seals speedily, belching out, "Kyuubi no Jutsu!" at the top of his lungs. The world around him jumbled up. His vision bled from the regular human to the heightened one of a demon, splashes of colour contracting in his slitted pupils. Suddenly everything became too bright, too smelly, too loud.

He threw his head up and roared, the ground shaking beneath his paws. And then he sprang forth, determined to get to Sasuke at all costs.

Sasuke jumped back, his expression frozen at some point between shock and disbelief. He wasn't exactly frightened, but he left a very vivid trace in the atmosphere, pulsing with cold light in the heart of the fire than engulfed the village. Naruto turned his head towards him, pressed his long ears to his skull and spat.

The duel continued, having grown into a fierce death match. Anger boiled in Naruto's veins, overriding every other emotion. Sasuke bent low to avoid one of his tails passing right over him and exhaled volleys of fire that flew in Naruto's direction. The fox whirled in place. Its tail finally hit its target, smashing Sasuke into a wall that fell over him immediately.

Naruto moved his ears. His accelerated hearing delivered a long-drawn-out moan. Sakura. Somewhere in the corner of his mind he suddenly feared what she would say once she saw him in this form. What they all would say.

"Naruto!" Tears in her voice. She was trying to get to him, but someone held her in place, trying to haul her away to safety. "NARUTO!" Her voice became shrill, overwhelming. "DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE!"

Sasuke crept out of the ruins and looked up at the fox. His eyes, still red and slightly inhuman, transformed into something even more peculiar. His lips moved automatically.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!"

And then he fell on his knees and screamed. Pain jolted in his brain, igniting the neurons mercilessly. Blood streamed down his cheeks. It must have felt like his eyes were about to implode.

Sakura yelled something. Confused, Naruto looked back. The Akatsuki Bijuu was running in his direction. He reared, snapped his jaws and plunged his teeth into the beast's shoulder joint. They clashed mindlessly, rollercoaster-riding on the waves of all their primordial fury and agony, purest instincts. Kill or be killed. All that surrounded them was temporarily lost to Naruto.

The red-haired woman landed next to Sasuke, collected him and swept him away from the fight. She couldn't hold back a sigh of terror when she saw his damaged eyes.

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, her voice cheating on her.

He came so close to defeating the Bijuu. His teeth constricted around its throat, he was ready to pluck out its windpipe. And then, while the beast was still in shock, he would reach its heart and tear it out too, a bloody clot of chakra that it was.

For a tailed beast to kill another tailed beast, it was piece of cake.

Naruto unclenched his jaws all of a sudden and screamed in agony. Something went wrong. He rushed about, breathing in the fear that closed down on him like an impenetrable bubble. The Bijuu used his confusion to its advantage and knocked him off balance. His body hit the ground heavily. The misfortunate ones that ended up in the vicinity of the two demons bolted.

From the corner of his eye Naruto saw another Akatsuki man. This one was wearing a goofy orange mask that concealed his face completely.

'What… What are they doing?' a thought flashed.

He was changing back, giving out.

Within an instant Sasuke was near him, his pale cheeks lined with red trails of blood. He and the masked man argued about something. Naruto strained his hearing, trying desperately to stay conscious.

"We retreat," the man commanded. "We've got the Nine-Tails."

"It was never my objective," Sasuke retorted with a hint of exasperation in his voice. "This is where we part ways, you and I."

"Don't you want to complete your revenge? You seriously believe you'll be able to crash Konoha alone?"

Naruto moaned, his mouth full of the sharp taste of blood. It seemed to him Sasuke lowered his head slightly; his gaze barely flickered over Naruto's face.

"My fate should not concern you," he said pointedly to his interlocutor.

Someone grabbed Naruto. It seemed to him he was flying.

"Suigetsu! Kisame!" the masked man cried out. "Hold them off; then retreat."

The man that carried Naruto bolted. Sasuke's face became but a blur before it disappeared for good and the last words that he heard were:

"The fox… What the hell was that?"

"No idea. Something I never expected to find."


	3. Jail Bird

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU! "_The only thing worse than getting stuck in another world was getting stuck in another world's jail"_.[Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _Hard Is The Journey_ by Li Po.

**A/N**: Thank you so much for your reviews, guys! They warm my heart. Here we return to the AU!world to check on the ninja!Naruto. The pieces in italics here as well as in the rest of the story are not necessarily flashbacks, but simply sequences that are not Naruto's POV. Enjoy! And don't forget to tell me what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_**Jail Bird**_

_Hard is the journey,  
Hard is the journey,  
So many turnings,  
And now where am __I?_

_**The City**_

_The night __is cold for this time of the year. The forest stands bare and solemn, branches moving in the wind, making long-drawn-out noises. The moon is high in the sky, now hiding behind the greyish clouds and now peeking out: in its ghostly light everything seems sinister grey. Two men are tearing through the thicket, deeper into the wilderness, trying not to disturb the natural stillness of the forest. It could be a bad omen._

"_Shikaku," the older one whispers. "Torch."_

_His companion lights up__ a stick that is crowned with winding coated with tar and raises his arm. Uneven shadows dance upon the furrowed slopes of the mountain. These furrows strongly resemble claw marks at a closer look._

_Shikaku is a man of about thirty with a strong jaw and a small pointed beard the same dark-brown colour as his hair collected in a pony-tail at the back of his head. His grave face is lined with scars, some old that had almost skinned over, some new and still raw. He looks fearless, but by the curve of his lips and the feverish glint in his eyes it is obvious that he feels uneasy._

"_So this is the Nine-Tails' lair," he draws out. "What are we waiting for?"_

_The older man nods (more at his own thoughts) and gestures to go on when a sudden whimpering sound catches his attention. _

"_Did you hear anything?" Shikaku shakes his head in doubt. "Must be the wind. We'd better not anger the wood spirits."_

_They enter the cavern hollowed out in the mountain and look around. It is dry and warm; its walls are covered in rock paintings, primitive, yet rich with some sacred meaning beyond Shikaku's understanding. What surprises him even more is the smell. He knows that demons merely look like animals but don't have all of their characteristics; yet it is still overwhelming to stand in the middle of the cave inhabited by a giant fox and feel no scent. No animal scent at least._

_All of that leaves him greatly unsettled._

"_What is it, my friend?" his companion asks with concern._

"_Hiruzen-sama," Shikaku says slowly, unable to look away from a small drawing that depicts a bear hunt. The bear is quite large; its fur bristles and its body is coloured with brown coal. The hunter, on the other hand, is no more than a stick figure with a spear. "I hated this blasted fox as much as the next guy. But I have to ask: are we doing the right thing? The monster is dead; there's no changing that. Would you come to your human enemy's house after his death and destroy it?"_

"_But it was no__t human," the other says listlessly, putting an end to this discussion. His hard gaze travels through the cave, but nothing captures his attention. "Burn it," he says finally. "All of it."_

_Deep inside he has always been a good, worthy man. The battle against the Monster Fox cost him the lives of his eight friends and many casualties among the people of Mount Oinari; that hardened him. To him this act is the act of vengeance which he is entitled to, even though the Fox itself is no more._

_The whimper repeats just when Shikaku is about to bring down the torch. Hiruzen gestures at him to halt and __takes a few steps forward. There is something alive in the cave. Feeling uneasy, he bends over the nest of stone in the corner to have a better look._

_There, on the bedding of dry, sweet-scented leaves, lies a small fox. Compared to a normal fox it looks comical with its big ears and long legs. It looks very weak, probably barely a few weeks old. Its red fur has formed mats all over its quivering body. With a beating heart, Hiruzen squats near the nest and counts the tails._

Nine_._

"_It's… the Kyuubi's cub!" he utters in disbelief._

"_What do we do with it?" Shikaku asks. "Kill it?"_

_The little fox rolls its pink tongue out and yawns broadly.__ Hiruzen battles his doubts, then takes it into his arms and cradles it cautiously. For all its cute appearance, it's still a demon. He wonders if he is doing the right thing._

"_He's just a kit," he says resolutely, emphasizing the pronoun. "Children should not be held responsible for their fathers' sins. May he find a new home in the temple."_

_Shikaku doesn't seem convinced, but he will relent eventually; Hiruzen knows that much. They set the cave on fire, creating a funeral pyre for this little one's past, and Hiruzen dares hope that he will be able to bring him up in the right way._

_The kit yawns again and bites his finger playfully, sinking his teeth just a little too deep. Shikaku cocks an eyebrow, as if saying, "Your call, but–."_

_Hiruzen cracks a tentative smile. It's going to be _fun_.

* * *

  
_

A dim sunbeam crouched into the room through the slit between the blinds and started a pilgrimage towards the bed. It bounced off the walls, got trapped for a moment in the looking-glass, glided smoothly over the floor and, having reached its destination at last, sparkled directly in Naruto's eye. The youth grunted, unwilling to wake up, and reached for something to cover himself up with. His palm lay flat upon the light blanket, slid aside and touched the carcass of the bed. His eyes snapped open. A white ceiling hung over him, too real to be part of a dream.

Okay, so he was back in Konoha. And had no memory of it. Which was freaky.

Naruto sat up and blinked in surprise. Apparently it wasn't home either. The small flat definitely resembled his own, but the furniture was different and the noodle poster had been replaced with the poster of something that looked like a mutated bicycle, and there was no Leaf symbol on the wall – and worst of all, there was no Team Seven photo on the nightstand.

Naruto opened the upper drawer. His nightstand was mostly empty; this one had tons of rubbish crammed into it: scraps of paper, a pair of broken chopsticks, a couple of socks from different pairs…

The events of the previous day began coming back. Naruto slammed his fist into the bedding, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them so abruptly that the pallid light of day hurt them.

Parallel worlds. _His_ world. _His_ place. That's where he was.

Naruto took a better look around. A few Polaroids were plastered on the wall above the nightstand. No faces; just some pretty sites (Naruto recognized the Oinari Shrine on one of them) and a photographic reproduction of what looked like a painting. It depicted a surreal tree, its branches entwined tightly, and a weird-looking bird. The original painting must have had the artist's signature in the corner, but it was impossible to read now.

Naruto walked about the place, poking his head into various doors. Bathroom, kitchen, wardrobe, balcony that faced a quiet street. The clothes in the wardrobe were mostly the same style and colour as his own. A ladder welded on to the board of the balcony took him down to the first floor. He hadn't had a chance to appraise it before. It was divided the same way the living quarters were. A small candy store was located underneath his neighbour's flat. The lodging beneath his own flat was dusty and filled with boxes that looked like leftovers from somebody moving in or out. The 'mutated bicycle' from the poster was hiding beneath a dirty sheet, its chromium-plated parts peeking shyly through the slots. Much to Naruto's surprise, the sheet was marked with a note saying: 'Property of Uzumaki Naruto. Touch it, and I'll bite your arms off!'

All in all, he decided he liked this place. It was vastly different from home even despite the likeness of the flats, but he had always had a knack for trying new things. Perhaps a short vacation would do him as good as the training at Myoubokuzan. Perhaps Fukasaku had even planned it this way.

He took a quick shower (mostly just to see if the plumbing needed any adjustments; it usually had done when Ero-sennin had been picking hotels) and, having changed into an outfit almost identical to his usual one, decided to take a tour in the city. The images from the evening: weird traffic, bright flashlights, heartbreakingly beautiful rice fields and unreceptive glances – crowded his mind, but they were mere vestiges of that impossibly long journey from his world to this one.

Naruto couldn't remember the last time he allowed himself to relax. He drove the thoughts of Konoha out of his mind and tried to follow Shikamaru's advice: just wait. Perhaps the gateway to his world would open for him if he forgot about it.

It had rained at night; ripples flowed over the clear surface of puddles in the streets, the whole town reflected there upside down. Naruto dodged a passing car that splashed him all over with water from beneath its wheels and grinned at his thoughts. A gaggle of children ran, laughing, past him.

This city was strange and beautiful with the beauty of some exotic kind. Jungles of concrete flowed into green parks and patterned bridges. Rainbow-coloured streetlights winked at each other in some mysterious fashion. A small temple with jade walls was resting on the side of a crystal blue lake – and a fast-food restaurant displayed its glaring signboard just around the corner. Various scents rode the airwaves, making Naruto dizzy, and hungry, and exultant like never before. He bought an ice-cream cone and hopped on the bench in the park, pulled his knees up to his chin and set to contemplating the passers-by. An elderly man with huge mustache, optically much bigger than his mouth, was reading a newspaper; the gentle rustling of pages purled in the air. A few girls were dancing in the fountain, trying to avoid the springing jets.

Naruto closed his eyes and simply listened for some time. Laughter. The noise of water. Mild hacking of the moustached man.

Freedom.

He thought he would have liked to stay.

* * *

One warm night four days later Naruto was watching the block from his balcony, groggily taking in the distant chirping of cicadas and the rare honking of cars on the road. Their worlds weren't quite so different after all. He had always loved those fuzzy, lazy nights that brought tears of weariness to his eyes. It reminded him of the night he had seen a shooting star.

Naruto blinked to chase drowsiness away. Downstairs, a pair of female neighbours was gossiping about some guy who had recently returned to the neighbourhood. Seemed like they both had a crush on him. Naruto listened inadvertently to their twitter. Could they possibly mean him? He pricked up his ears and crept closer to the side of the balcony. He couldn't see the women (they must have settled on the stairs), but he could hear them very well.

"…always so polite and he has such a nice smile!" one of them said.

"Yeah, but he's always so alone! I've never seen anyone visit him except that other guy–."

Naruto craned out his neck. Could he be getting visitors sometime soon? He wondered if he knew them, if–.

"Oh, there he goes!" one of the women chimed exultantly. Naruto groaned. Of course they didn't mean _him_! It was stupid to hope for that, knowing how the people of Mount Oinari treated him and all…

In the middle of the thought he froze, petrified. A level voice said listlessly, replying to some question he must have missed:

"Very well, thank you. Pass them my regards."

Naruto jerked his head and leaned over the handrail, desperate to get a glimpse of the speaker. Impossible! And yet…

The man crossed the street in the meantime and approached the house opposite Naruto's. He turned round for a brief moment, then unlocked the door and vanished into the dim hallway. The door slid shut a moment after.

_Sasuke_.

Naruto's breath hitched. His stomach gave a violent twist as he dashed about the balcony, not knowing what to do. Sasuke! Here! In the end he tripped over something, skidded clumsily to the handrail and tumbled down, drawing a furrow in the asphalt. The women cried out in surprise, but before they could do something Naruto sprang up, rushed across the road, narrowly avoided bumping into a passing car and landed several blows on Sasuke's unremarkable grey door.

It was quiet for a moment. Then the door cracked open, revealing the owner of the flat. The lights were still out; Sasuke seemed ethereal in the soft glow of streetlights.

He looked exactly the same, down to the calm, moody expression and solid black eyes. His hair was a bit longer and messier and a small cut stretched across his right eyebrow, but it was Sasuke. Wild, uncontrollable joy overwhelmed him. For a few long moments he could only stare at Sasuke without a word, his breath caught in his throat.

"Sasuke." The name dropped from his mouth in a barest whisper.

"Hey, moron," said Sasuke and Naruto's chest exploded with sharp, thrilling pain mixed with glee: the same words he had always addressed him with! Not exactly flattering words, but to him they were like Sasuke's universal form of acknowledgement. "Now get lost," Sasuke added and reached out to shut the door. In spite of his momentary stupour, Naruto was quick enough to stick a foot inside.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait! I'm just… It's really good to see you!" he blurted out, pushing into the hall. Sasuke stepped back, never taking his studious eyes off Naruto's face.

"Why?"

"Because… well… you know me, I know you and… we know each other! Isn't that awesome?"

Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk.

"Actually it's something I regret every day of my life."

Naruto snickered. Sense of humour. Something his own Sasuke had long since lost.

Silence built up between them. Naruto's gaze slid over Sasuke's unfamiliar clothes and his so very familiar posture. He could only grin stupidly, his mind racing, not giving way to but one coherent thought.

A voice was heard at the door, and it snapped Naruto out of his reverie. He spun around and gaped at the newcomer, torn between astonishment and fury.

"What are you doing here!?" he hissed, forgetting temporarily about Sasuke.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Sasuke exclaimed and grasped Naruto by the elbow and shoved him outside. "What are _you_ still doing here!?"

"Sasuke, wait, you don't–!"

"Won't you introduce us?" the visitor asked calmly. Naruto glared at him.

"Itachi," Sasuke said briskly. "The Moron That Lives Over There," he added, pointing at Naruto and then at his house. "Happy?"

Naruto glared at the elder Uchiha. To find him here wasn't nearly as pleasant a surprise as to come across Sasuke. Not to mention he was dead back home. Could it mean that others – bad guys or _good_ guys – survived here too?

Naruto shook his head stubbornly. "I know who you are," he told Itachi darkly. "You stay away from Sasuke, or–."

"Will you excuse me for a second?" Sasuke cut in. Itachi nodded and stepped further into the hall.

Naruto yelped uncontrollably as Sasuke nearly pushed him off the porch. His eyes blazed fiercely.

"What's got into you? What right do you think you have–?"

"Why is he here?" Naruto exclaimed. Persistent, scorching desire to keep Sasuke safe and away from that Akatsuki jerk nestled in his chest.

"He is my brother! Believe it or not, but I encourage some family members to visit me from time to time."

"But he killed your parents!"

It just slipped. Naruto stared in awe as Sasuke's face darkened. His voice, as it came out of his mouth, sounded cold and alien, and precision which he put into every word alarmed Naruto.

"Get the fuck away from my house," he said. "If I see you cross the street in this place, I'll kill you."

The door slammed shut with a loud 'bang!'. Naruto stared at it breathlessly, trying in vain to process all the happenings of the past minutes.

First of all, _Sasuke was here_! Just across the street from him. Window to window – he could see him every day! Then why didn't the other Naruto recognize the name? Naruto ran his fingers through his hair, lost in thought. Because their relationship was screwed-up? No big deal if one compared it to his and Sasuke's relationship back in Konoha.

Then, Itachi was alive and obviously had nothing to do with the Uchiha massacre and was still on good terms with his brother. That was supposed to be good, but an uneasy feeling churned in Naruto's stomach, regardless. Itachi was not to be trusted. Hell, had the Uchiha massacre even happened here? Naruto groaned. Why the hell did he have to bring it up at all?! A stupid slip of tongue had ruined everything!

He returned home but couldn't bring himself to go to bed and kept pacing about the room anxiously. Sasuke being here, it was a gift. A chance to start anew, if not for himself, but for the other Naruto. And maybe, get to know Sasuke better while he wasn't so screwed-up and then use it to save _his_ Sasuke.

"Just wait for me, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, his head finally touching the pillow. "This time, I'll do everything right!"

* * *

Everything about him was… Sasuke-ish. Not quite a copy, but then, the two Narutos didn't resemble each other that much at a closer look either.

Naruto developed a certain liking to watching him. His door would fling open early in the morning; he would take rapid, steady steps out, clad either in a dark, midnight-sky-coloured kimono thing, or in heavy military trousers and a white shirt, not so different from the one his otherworldly counterpart used to wear. He would vanish into the maze of backstreets and alleys so quickly that Naruto often lost his track and had to wait for him to return. He would come back past twilight, act nice and civil to his female admirers that spent as much time waiting for him to show up as Naruto did; and then a light would flicker in his window and it would sometimes stay till dawn.

He led a secluded life and seemed contented with it. Naruto wondered briefly if Sasuke was destined to be a loner.

"I can feel you," Sasuke cut into his thoughts during another attempt to shadow him.

Naruto grinned. Nothing to do about it; he had always failed at stealth.

"I'm on my side of the street," he said hastily, ready to dodge whatever Sasuke was planning to send flying in his direction.

He tensed when Sasuke turned around and looked at him. His eyes revealed nothing of his intentions. He sighed exasperatedly and approached Naruto.

"Need I get a warrant? Quit stalking me."

"I'm not–."

"Shall I remind you what I am?" Sasuke interrupted. "I'm a demon hunter."

"Cool!" Naruto breathed with genuine admiration. That definitely seemed like a kickass profession – and something he would have expected from Sasuke.

"Oh yes. That means I don't make friends with demons. I _kill_ them. And that goes for a certain orange freak of nature that keeps following me. This is my final warning, Naruto."

Naruto knitted his eyebrows. _Eh?_

"But I'm not a demon," he said, feeling rather insecurely.

To this, Sasuke merely snorted and continued on his way. Naruto gritted his teeth. Things were just getting worse. He caught up to Uchiha, decidedly ignoring the 'no crossing the street' rule, and said guiltily:

"Sasuke, I'm sorry. What I said about your parents… I didn't–."

"Forget it," Sasuke cut him off icily. He added after a pause, "Just tell me one thing. Why would you think Itachi had killed them? How do you even know they're dead?"

"I can explain."

"Sure you can. But you won't." The mixture of disdain and disappointment in Sasuke's eyes hurt too much. "Because that's just what demons do."

* * *

"_Attention to all patrols!__ Disturbance in Area 5. Arrive at once. Attention to all patrols! Disturbance…"_

Naruto's eyes snapped open. He found himself standing stock-still, the air around him hot and cackling with electricity. The asphalt was lined with furrows, and a huge crater gaped in the middle of the street. He looked back in confusion. A car was burning. The distant sound of sirens made him shiver.

Someone grabbed him by the hand.

"Come on, we cannot stay here! We need to go now!"

Naruto blinked. A girl whom he had never seen before was pulling him away from the street. He gave in and ran after her, his hand still clutched in her trembling fingers.

A strange picture flashed before his mind's eye. This girl standing on the roof of that burning car, crying out some slogans. People around cheering, waving banners.

Dizzying pain was splitting his skull in two. He halted, struggling to catch his breath.

"What… what the–?"

"Ask questions later!" the girl exclaimed, visibly frightened. "These guys are not to be trifled with!"

Naruto's blood ran cold. The Kyuubi! That was the only explanation for the sudden memory loss and the fire and the crater and–!

Sasuke!

Yes, of course! He was with Sasuke. Memories were beginning to restore.

It was two days after their last conversation. This morning Naruto had seen him leave the house and followed him again, hoping to make amends for whatever grief their last meeting had caused. Sasuke had been dressed in his kimono outfit and carried a crossbow and looked really badass.

"_Going to work?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Can I come?"_

"_Would anything I have to say stop you?"_

Naruto stumbled. The girl flashed him a panicked look.

"I need to find my friend," Naruto said breathlessly.

"Your friend?" she snorted. "The guy who was with you? I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who called the cops!"

The sirens were getting closer. They bolted again, jumped over the brick wall that rose unexpectedly on their way and sped through the empty backstreets.

"_So why exactly do you, uh… hunt demons? Are they bad?"_

"_You tell me."_

"_I already told you, I'm not–."_

Naruto's hand flew up to his brow to wipe sweat off of it. His fingers came away smeared with red. Blood. A voice slightly distorted by the volume amplifier commanded them to stop.

"What are you so afraid of?" Naruto asked. "It's just police."

"Just police?! What planet are you from? Those guys there are your worst nightmare, love! And considering your little feat earlier, I doubt they'll go easy on you."

Naruto's heart leapt. He had never even got close to being arrested and he wasn't sure he wanted to try this new experience now. Where the hell was Sasuke? Could he really have staged this?

He remembered them walking out into the square, still bickering over something that seemed unimportant now. The smell of smoke had grasped Naruto's attention. Then he'd seen that girl on the car; a smoke bomb had just gone off somewhere.

"Damn those terrorists!" Sasuke had sworn irritably and continued on his way.

"Who are they?"

"Fighters for half-breeds' rights. That's Area 5 over there." That had earned him a blank stare. "Some call it ghetto. Nobody likes those mongrels."

A projectile had flown from the crowd, inflicting a cut upon the girl's cheek. The shooter must have aimed well, so as to anger her but not to hurt.

"There come Human Rights," Sasuke had rolled his eyes. "Sundays around here are wicked."

A brawl had started; it had been hard to distinguish between the two fighting parties in the thickening smoke.

"_Looks like they could use some help…"_

"…_Yeah. Go help them."_

"_You sure?"_

"_I only do what I get paid for."_

"_That's, uh… not very noble. Hold that thought!"_

He snapped back to the present and found himself surrounded by police cars. Uniformed men ordered him to freeze in a peremptory tone. Neither the girl, nor him had any chance to disobey. They were pulled apart, and he could hear her screaming long after she was gone. The car delivered him to the police station. He was brutally shoved into a cage, and a cold, expressionless voice uttered, as if beating time:

"Street fighting. Associating with suspects in terrorism. Resistance to arrest…"

Naruto drew himself together. Bright light hit his eyes. It hurt.

So he had gone and joined the fight. He must have lost control somewhere in the middle of it, gone Kyuubi… but why hadn't Sasuke been there to stop him? Anger and nervousness were the only things that kept him from feeling betrayed. He applied Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and the clones rushed to take the metal bars down. They poofed into oblivion instantly, and Naruto himself staggered back, his palms scorched by the touch of metal that sizzled as if coated with acid.

"No demon funny stuff here, brat!" one of the policemen quipped.

Naruto gripped his temples tight. This could not be happening. The only thing worse than getting stuck in another world was getting stuck in another world's _jail_.

"The girl that was with me," he remembered suddenly. "Where is she? Is she all right?"

One of the officers sniggered at his question. "Doubt you'll be seeing her anytime soon. Now shut your trap before I have to shock you again!"

Naruto skulked in the corner of the cell and pulled his knees up to his chin. He wouldn't have to stay here forever, would he? And this certainly wasn't enough to make him give up.

* * *

The night was long and boring. Probably the most boring night in Naruto's life. He tried to sleep, but unlike on many tough missions he had been through, his ability to fall asleep elsewhere begged to be excused this time. By the first light of morning, his head was aching like never before and his eyes were swollen. Just when he was about to start thrashing the cage anew, the same rude officer came up and began unlocking the door.

"Uzumaki Naruto, seems like you got a little angel on your shoulder. An officer's just bailed you out."

Naruto frowned. Now that was surprising! He followed the man into the anteroom, curious about the identity of his well-wisher. He hardly knew anyone in this world yet, not to mention…

Naruto stumbled on the threshold and bumped into the doorpost. The person who had supposedly bailed him out was standing at the post, filling out some form. Itachi. Great. A perfect beginning of another perfect day.

"I'm not going anywhere with him," Naruto deadpanned, pointing briskly at Itachi.

The elder Uchiha arched his eyebrows quizzically and glanced at his wristwatch. "Well, I see that you're not in a hurry. I'll just drop by in a few hours."

Naruto jumped up to Itachi immediately. "On second thought…"

A soft smile crossed Itachi's lips. He seemed so different in his dark blue shirt with a firearm sticking out of the shoulder holster. His eyes were the same deep onyx as Sasuke's, no menacing blood-red of the Sharingan to taint them. Naruto who had never seen his true eyes felt some kind of trepidation, looking into them now.

"So you're a policeman?" he asked curiously when they were making their way out of the building.

Itachi smirked. "Very perceptive."

"You work here then?"

"Actually my station's half the city away from here." Naruto gaped at him. "Sasuke tipped me off. Said you could use some help. I'm sure he didn't mean for you to spend the night here, but he got… held up."

A breath of wind in his face made Naruto smile. He inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh taste of morning. It didn't require much to make his troubles go away.

"You hungry?" Itachi wanted to know.

"Er… no."

"Too bad. I know this great ramen shop just around the corner."

Damn this stupid version of Itachi! Clearly, it went against the laws of nature: Itachi should be a bad guy, hunting him, not treating him to ramen.

Such thoughts still pestered him half an hour later when he was seated comfortably in the restaurant, slurping his miso-ramen and eyeing Itachi apprehensively. One could suggest by the serene look upon Uchiha's face that he was having the time of his life. The silence spread. It was too early in the morning for the restaurant to be full. Naruto fidgeted on his seat under Itachi's watchful eye until the tension became unbearable. Then he jumped up, slammed his fist into the table and cried out angrily:

"All right! What do you want from me?"

Once again Itachi seemed surprised and amused rather than suspicious. He had always been difficult to deal with, even without his genjutsu tricks.

"How long have you known Sasuke?" he asked calmly, gesturing at Naruto to sit down.

"For as long as we lived near each other," the youth replied cautiously. It hit him that he had no idea how long it really was, but probably not as long as he'd known the Sasuke in his world.

"About three years then. Yet he never mentioned you. I'm surprised we haven't met until that night."

"Guess I was lucky not to get arrested," said Naruto defensively. To his surprise, Itachi chuckled, produced a file-folder and placed it on the table between his interlocutor and himself.

"On the contrary, Naruto-kun. I happen to have your file here; an interesting read. Four arrests, one of them on suspicion for theft and murder three years ago." Naruto's jaw dropped. Itachi went on: "I know you were proven innocent, but still, the death of Takano Takashi had made a lot of noise. And it was what, your first week in the city?"

Naruto gritted his teeth. "What are you getting at?"

Someone dropped a plate in the kitchen. The noise traveled through the empty restaurant, turning Naruto's head in that direction for a moment. When he looked back, Itachi had already got up and was preparing to leave. The money lay on the table next to his half-full bowl.

"Finish your meal before it's gone cold," he said neutrally. "I hope you'll excuse me; I should be on duty. See you round, Naruto-kun."

He walked out, and Naruto finally allowed his shoulders to relax.

_Just what was that?

* * *

  
_

"Waiting is hard, Shikamaru," Naruto murmured, flopping himself on the bed. It felt good to be at home after the rough night, even though the home wasn't his own. He screwed his eyes shut tight, then opened them at once and stared at the ceiling, bored and tired. "It's not something I like doing. I guess I could view it as part of my training, but what's the point? I don't like lying to people, yet I have to live as another person (who happened to have been arrested for murder for fuck's sake!), I have no friends, nothing to do and when I try to do something, I end up in jail! I found Sasuke, but he's not my Sasuke. He doesn't even seem to know me, though we've lived like this for hell knows how long. I wish that stupid door would just find me. My world needs me more!"

He shuddered to think what the other Naruto could be doing to his life right now. Probably royally screwing things up in the worst way imaginable. Perhaps he'd even found Sasuke. Though would he even want to look for him? Would he want to fight Pein if he'd never heard of him before, never lost anyone because of him before?

Naruto buried his face in the pillow and lay still for a while. The muddled city noise outdoors made him restless.

Damn this stupid world! Damn this stupid version of Naruto that didn't tell him about this stupid version of Sasuke who had a stupid version of Itachi who had just saved him from jail! Naruto forced a groan so emotional that it made his throat sore. Everything here was absolutely _wrong_!

He rolled onto his back, propped up on his shoulders and caught sight of Sasuke accidentally. Uchiha was sitting near the handrail of his balcony, looking down solemnly. A pale sliver of morning sunlight was smeared across his cheek in shimmering gilt. Naruto dropped his head tiredly.

Perhaps he should have stayed at Mount Oinari. There was at least one person who actually did give a damn…

Having drifted off to sleep with suchlike thoughts, he dreamt of faces he'd never seen before and half-familiar visages of a past long left behind. A red-haired woman looking at him with sad and determined eyes. She reached out for him, but a gust of wind repelled her. The Nine-Tails raging on top of a mountain that sank into a very familiar valley. The girl from the roof of the car grabbed Naruto's hand and tried to take him away, but police showed up. They pointed those strange weapons at them, urging them to keep still.

_In his dream, Naruto is more still than he has ever been in his life._

_All he wants is to wake up.

* * *

  
_

_A __fleeting dot of light flickers near the warehouse and goes out just as swiftly. Kin crouches along the wall, doing her best to keep in the shadows. Reflections of police flashlights fumble about the overcast sky now and then. They remind her of walleyes that in spite of being blank and frightfully serene retain some unspent resentment and aggression._

_Kin flicks__ her tongue over her swollen lips absent-mindedly, tasting a thin scar coated with blood. A few hours ago her body, slashed and bruised all over, was still comfortably numb. Now, however, sensations are coming back, threatening to become unbearable._

_Once safe inside the warehouse, Kin slides inside one of the storerooms and lets herself loose. Her knees buckle. She sags on the floor heavily; stifled sobs bubble in her throat but find no release. She squeezes her eyes shut until the blackness around her is discoloured, and takes a deep breath. One. Two. Three…_

_Minutes drag on. It __wasn't been her first time being detained. Old scars would fade slowly, reluctantly giving way to new patterns: whitish whip-lines, reddish burns, purple bruises that bloom with all colours of rainbow weeks after._

_Kin hates__ it and takes pride in it. She has sworn to make them pay for every drop of blood she'd shed, but time wears on, and she is still powerless._

_She rises abruptly, alone in a perfectly empty room, and begins pacing just to make sure her limbs obey her. The sudden pain in her abdomen causes her to stop. She lifts her shirt and stares in awe at a huge clawmark that crosses her belly. She almost forgot about it._

"_And here I thought we'd lost you," a female voice says in the dark._

_Kin cocks her head. "I can see that I've been missed."_

"_Don't get too cocky. __Getting caught wasn't part of the assignment."_

"_Hey! I did escape!" Kin balls her fists. _

_The woman in the shadows chuckles. She moves cautiously, plastic like a cat, and circles around Kin, scrutinizing her bruises. Kin shifts uncomfortably. Even years after it is still hard to get used to Nibi's mannerisms._

"_So what exactly happened?" Nibi demand__s._

"_Damned if I know!" Kin sh__akes her head, trying to clear the haze away. "We started out as usual, then those Human Rights dumbfucks showed up and provoked us, but we would have probably broken up before cops had arrived if it weren't for that guy."_

_Nibi tilts her head up, squinting her catlike eyes. A small smile flashes on her lips._

"_I want more details on the guy. Who was he?"_

"_Some wacko. A bystander, or so I thought at first.__ He rushed in to help us, presumably, and for some time he really did great. Even fought off those HR creeps. But then one of them tossed an incendiary bomb, and the guy was completely off his rocker! He transformed into this huge fox with three or four tails and freaking thrashed the street!" Kin pauses and breathes in convulsively, only now beginning to realize that the incident has scared her badly. "He gave me this."_

_She points at the clawmark on her stomach. Nibi leans in and studies it quietly for a moment. Only her eyes, slightly wide with shock and curiosity, disrupt her carefully constructed image of composure._

"_Dosu had to use a tranquilizer on him," Kin adds. "Hell knows how many more tails he could have grown."_

"_Where is he now?"_

_Kin purse__s her lips. The guy seemed really decent and it aggrieved her to think he might be held in one of those horrible torture cells in a basement of any of the city police stations. She shrugs helplessly._

_For a while Nibi is engrossed in her ruminations, standing perfectly still like a cat on the hunt._

"_It's incredible that he should reappear after all this time," she says finally, to herself rather than addressing Kin. "But if that's really him, all hell will break loose. The Akatsuki have been looking for him for ages."_

_Kin's eyes widen. "So… we gotta get to him first, or what? You want me to deal with it?"_

"_No." Nibi throws__ her hand up; it freezes in mid-motion as if the leader is still in doubt. Her voice sounds unusually soft when she speaks. "I'll take this one myself. Find out where he is, though."_

_Kin smirks. That promises to be interesting._


	4. Riot Act

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU! + Naruto finds himself in a fix; intrigues bloom inside the Akatsuki; Sasuke clashes with an old opponent.[Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _The Young Soldier_ by Wilfred Owen.

**A/N**: Yo! Now, darlings, I'm well aware that my rap writing skills are non-existent. But I think the rap we're going to see in this chapter should suck, considering who it is that performs it. Do enjoy!

Also, thank you very much to everyone who reads, leaves reviews, etc. Some of you are really wonderful reviewers, but also, some of you that leave me long and beautiful reviews that brighten my day so much are anon. It's sad that I can't reply to you because you don't leave your e-mail. I know some authors don't reply to reviews; I _always_ do! So in case you have some questions to ask me, regarding the story, I'll gladly write back to you ASAP.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_**Riot Act**_

_Nor the sweet murder_

_Dealt slow and even_

_Unto the martyr_

_Smiling at heaven…_

_**The Akatsuki Hideout**  
_

Little by little the daze that clouded Naruto's mind began to dispel. He unstuck his eyelids with an effort; they felt swollen as if he had slept too long after many nights of insomnia.

"What. The. Fuck!" he swore aggressively under his breath.

He was bound to a wall vertically, hands above his head, chains running like rivulets of metal all over his body. Opposite him there stood an identical wall of bare rock, undercut slightly by water. Voices floated all around him in gentle whisperings, yet he couldn't see their owners.

A cave of some kind.

Naruto attempted to wriggle his hands out of the shackles and shuddered involuntarily when something cold and hard came in contact with his neck.

"Don't move," a flat voice warned him. "You're still alive by a fluke."

Naruto cocked his eyebrow. 'Demon hunters?'

He skewed up his eyes. The person to his right holding a blade against him hardly looked like a hunter. Unless he was deeply undercover… Naruto's heart skipped a beat. 'Of course… I'm still–.'

"Sasuke…" he breathed wearily.

"They want to know what you did," Sasuke interrupted him. "Why they can't get the Fox out of you. Why it's not inside."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Naruto's lips. So that was the deal with Naruto and the local Kyuubi! Well, then those Akatsuki guys were in for a big surprise. As well as this Sasuke guy. To be frank, Naruto had expected more from his supposed 'first bond'.

"Tell me," Sasuke commanded.

"So," Naruto yawned theatrically, ignoring the question, "you are with the Akatsuki. Nice cloak, by the way. Though I honestly don't get it. It's supposed to be a secret organization, right? But if you walk around with flowers on your cloaks, doesn't everybody know who you are?"

The blade pressed harder, inflicting a thin, shallow cut in the close proximity of Naruto's vein. The youth hissed to stifle a sound of pain and sneered.

"He-ey, watch it! What fun would it be if I just let y'all in on my big secret?" He flicked his tongue over his dry lips absent-mindedly and added challengingly: "Wanna kill me? Go ahead. But the Fox dies with me."

Sasuke's eyes flashed crimson. Once again that strange combination – black patterned seal upon the red iris. Naruto frowned. His chances against Uchiha right now were rather slim: chains prevented him from forming seals, and either way he couldn't risk another transformation now for fear of wasting away the remains of his chakra. However, last time Sasuke's eyes had nearly killed him when he had tried to use them against Naruto. Perhaps Naruto could cause the same effect now.

"Stop fooling around," Sasuke demanded icily.

"Or what? Seems like I'm more important to you than you care to admit, _friend_. And don't tell me you're only doing what they want." Oh yes! Hit the spot. "You're too cool to be a puppet, huh? But let me tell you something. Your time is over. Run all you like. No one's chasing you."

Sasuke's face darkened. Naruto bared his teeth in an impudent grin – and screamed as a current of electricity flowed swiftly down the sword and scorched his skin. Sasuke lowered the blade and plunged it into Naruto's shoulder. His arm went numb; his heart slammed ferociously against his ribcage. He bristled and growled furiously.

"You're not him," Sasuke stated. "Who are you?"

Naruto laughed breathlessly. 'Clever little human, then?'

"It's about time you met the real Uzumaki Naruto!" he spat. "And he doesn't give a damn about you and your drama, Princess! You think you're the only one who had a crappy life? 'Ooh, look at me, I'm so bent on revenge, I think I'll go crash Konoha!' So what!? I suppose each of us has had plenty of reasons to fucking crash Konoha before–."

Electric fire made a chirping noise and flared brighter. Naruto's chest heaved before the jutsu tore out another scream from him. Sasuke was careful not to injure him beyond measure as well as to keep him conscious. He couldn't feel his arm anymore, but the rest of his body seemed to slowly fall apart in agony.

"Why didn't my eyes work on you?" Sasuke inquired.

It took Naruto a moment to realize he had lowered the sword. Now he simply stood next to him, looking tired and somewhat disheartened. That countenance promised a lot of trouble.

Naruto parted his lips. He felt dry and hot as if some sticky sediment from the air covered his skin. He took a shaky breath, raised his head and pulled a face before saying, "Sorry. Cute eyes, but not my type!" – and received another jolt. His body twitched, out of control, but this time he swallowed a scream. No more enjoyment for this bastard.

"I will inevitably get to the bottom of this," Sasuke said. "It's only a matter of time. I suggest you tell me now and save yourself the pain."

"The bottom is the only thing you'll ever get to," Naruto breathed.

Seemingly unfazed, Sasuke brought the sword up to his stomach, drove it and twisted it. He looked uninterested in the procedure, almost bored, as though he did it only because there was no alternative.

Naruto sagged, drained of all energy, blood seething like foam on his lips.

"Who are you?" Sasuke breathed against his cheek.

Naruto shivered. Rage boiled within him as he was suddenly reminded why he'd hated the man in the first place.

"U-zu-ma-ki Na-ru-to," he sing-songed, overcoming the pain. "I'm your friend. _Was_, before you did that to Sakura-chan–."

To his surprise, Sasuke chuckled quietly. It was a very abrupt sound that Naruto didn't expect to hear. He threw up his head and snarled aggressively. Just how the hell did the bastard dare scoff at a moment like this?!

"What do you think happened to Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

"You attacked her with that stupid lightning of yours, that's what!" Naruto blurted out before he had a chance to stop himself. The lightning probably had a name like all jutsu did, but at the moment he couldn't care less about it.

He recalled Sakura's gentle smile and her huge green eyes and that one kiss he'd stolen from her. Why did she like him? Could she have had any suspicions? Sasuke had figured him out pretty quickly; did it mean that their 'bond' was stronger than his and Sakura's?

With that, there came the memories of Konoha. They hurt him. Sturdy, traditional houses, meandering streets, flowering meadows around the village and the gentle purl of the river… He had seen it in the time of need and devastation and could only guess how beautiful it really was when prosperous – yet it had conquered him with far more ease than any person ever could.

"I will protect Konoha!" he exclaimed poignantly, his eyes sparkling with newfound confidence. For the first time in his life he had somewhere to go home to. Perhaps the Chief was right all along: friends did matter. "Between the village and you, I think I'd choose the village."

"I never asked you to choose," Sasuke replied impassively. "In fact, I'm glad you chose the village. It proves you still have some sense left."

Someone called him by name from the distance. Sasuke's eyes lingered upon Naruto; the red faded and bled back to the natural black. The youth turned away and disappeared in the thick darkness of the doorway. Naruto sniggered. Who was he to stop his 'friend' if the guy wanted to play games?

* * *

Each day – and Naruto had soon lost count of them – in the Akatsuki hideout was the same. A loud, demanding voice would snap him out of oblivion, and questions would be asked. Tens, dozens of repeating, monotonous questions that alternated with flashes of pain as various blades were brought down on him to slash and pierce and rip. Starvation and continuous pain, resonating through his worn-out body, had weakened him considerably. Every day his chances of wriggling out of the chains were getting slimmer.

Each interrogation started out the same way.

"What is your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," he would answer with a smirk. That was easy; he didn't have to lie.

"Date of birth?"

"October 10."

"Where you born?"

"The Hidden Leaf Village, check the map, asshole." Said in one long-drawn-out gasp.

"Your parents?"

"I'm an orphan, you stinking piece of sh–!"

It was never Sasuke. For all he knew, Sasuke could be a long way away from the hideout, too ashamed to look him in the eye, the spineless coward that he was. The masked leader had brought in a stranger, an inhuman-looking guy with pointed, shark-like teeth and a passion for cutting things up. From the corner of his eye Naruto had once seen him cut a prisoner like a lump of meat.

He came from the same village as two of the Akatsuki members, the Bloody Mist, and seemed to enjoy candidly whatever assignments the leader gave him. He insisted Naruto's wounds were treated thoroughly at the end of the day to start afresh in the morning. He took a warped pleasure in inflicting each cut, and the pace of his work would change according to his mood. Sometimes he would split his skin with nearly surgical precision; at other times he was short of ripping him open. Naruto's lips were chapped because of trying to hold back screams of agony. The Mist nin would only smirk, his light blue eyes clear and impassive like specks of ice.

"What is your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Where is the Nine-Tails?"

Naruto's lips screwed up in distaste. "Bite me."

A jagged blade plunged into his side and twisted. Naruto gritted his teeth and let out a low, forceful growl.

"I admire your tenacity, I'll have you know," the Mist ninja told him once. "It is a true pleasure to work with you. However, the employers are getting quite impatient. I do not wish to have you killed, at least not without getting the required information. But I doubt how much you can bear if we continue like this."

Naruto threw his head up. Sweat mixed with blood trickled down his forehead, spilling over his eyes. He blinked a few times, his breath short and ragged. A jet of water hit him in the face. He snorted, shook himself, chains clanking about him, and said:

"I'm full of surprises."

"Indeed you are," the man said.

His lips twisted into a smile, but his eyes expressed no emotion. Naruto wished so much he could spit into his face because he despised soulless sadists like that; but his mouth was dry, and it was only by will that he still remained conscious.

'Just you wait, Sasuke,' he thought furiously. 'I'll have my way with you as soon as I get out of here!'

He almost did, once. Released the remaining energy of the demonic chakra that lay dormant in its channels and tore the chains out of their fasteners. It was not enough to perform Kyuubi no Jutsu, but quite enough to accelerate his strength. However, he only made it as far as the exit out of his torture chamber. The same unsettling feeling that had been his undoing during the battle in Konoha gripped him. He was too exhausted to override it.

'I'm not dying here,' his mind exploded with a panicky thought. 'Not here!'

From the corner of his eye he spotted the shark-man from the Akatsuki, holding his weird bandaged sword over him. A splash of orange next to him. The big boss then. Naruto hadn't seen him so close since the battle.

"It was a very rash thing to do, Naruto-kun," the leader chastised softly – and Naruto's world went pitch-black.

* * *

_It's not him. _

_That's what Sasuke tells himself every time he hears Naruto's screams shoot through the empty halls of the hideout. Everything is made of stone; the acoustics is too damn good, and all he wants is to shut his ears, crawl somewhere where it's dark and quiet and just…_

_die._

_He would never admit that, of course, not in front of Madara or his team or, above all else, Naruto himself. (Not Naruto, should stop calling him Naruto.)_

_He would have liked to convince himself that had it been Naruto he would never have let such horrible things happen to him. The truth is, he's not so sure. He needs to get him out of his head, out of his system, like Naruto is a virus that keeps poisoning him – but then, don't these screams hold an even stronger poison?_

"_Are you not certain?" Madara asks. "I can see that you are beginning to hesitate."_

"_You can't see anything," Sasuke protests icily. The man's attention is getting annoying. _

"_You do realize that he will have to die, don't you? Everyone in Konoha will."_

_Sasuke stands up rapidly, his legs getting momentarily tangled in the flaps of his Akatsuki cloak._

"_I shall not change my mind." His voice is steady and at the moment he believes his words. He circles around Madara, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What I can't understand is why you keep bringing this matter up. Shouldn't you be satisfied that I follow in your footsteps and not in Itachi's?"_

_Madara laughs throatily. Sasuke stands still for a moment. He has never heard him laugh before. Even so, he is almost certain that Madara is not smiling behind the mask. The man is woven out of contradictions._

"_I would be," he says candidly, "if I trusted you."_

_Sasuke__'s lips twitch. _Touché_._

"_Why did you kill Kenshi?" Madara asks.

* * *

  
_

Naruto's gums seemed to be bleeding. He spat off a thick clot of blood and took a deep breath, diving out of unconsciousness.

Okay. Alive. That was good.

He shifted his weight, trying to figure out why it was so dark and stuffy and hot around him. The last thing he remembered was dangling in chains again, the Mist ninja doing his tricks. Naruto's body hurt all over. They had given him some medicine to slow his reflexes down; he had felt fuzzy and deceptively warm and couldn't care less about rivulets of blood trickling all over his body as the tormentor had unleashed his frenzy upon him.

"If you refuse to talk," he had said, "you shall die like an animal you are."

He must have blacked out again because now that he was trying desperately to recollect what had happened his brain refused to supply a memory. There had been some noise and a wet gurgling sound and the chirping of birds (_birds? in the cave-like halls of the Akatsuki lair?_)…

Naruto inhaled deeply and attempted to sit up. To his chagrin, his head bumped into something hard and he fell back with a shocked yelp. Ceiling? Too low to be a ceiling. Naruto knitted his eyebrows. He could have sworn that this was precisely how it felt to have a heavy hangover; but then again, he had never got drunk.

He felt about and established that the thing above him was made of wood as well as things around him that he took to be walls and the thing beneath him – floor, obviously. His heart skipped a beat. A box? A _coffin_?

"Hey!" he called out uncertainly. "Yo, guys! This is a mistake. I'm not dead!"

Naturally, there came no reply. Sweat beaded up on Naruto's forehead. He had never thought himself to be claustrophobic, but being shut off in a _coffin_ wasn't a pleasant experience either way. He balled a fist and slammed it into the lid. The chips that began coming off grazed his knuckles. He winced and continued beating.

"Hey!!! Get me the fuck outta here! SASUKE!!!"

His throat constricted. These invisible wooden walls were closing in on him. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the stupor. The wood was slowly giving in.

Strangely enough, no clods of earth fell through the slits. So at least he wasn't buried. No light either. That was alarming.

Naruto's hand smashed a hole in the lid and came through. He struck harder and soon shattered the lid completely and shoved the fragments aside like unnecessary litter. Still no light anywhere in sight. Dumbstruck, he raised his hands slowly until his palms touched cold stone. He pulled away, as if scalded. The stone hung almost as low as the wood had.

He was locked up in a pine box placed into some kind of a stone vault. Perfect. So that was the kind of death they had chosen for him. Not take him down in a fair fight; not even cut him up like someone's dinner; no, they would leave him to rot slowly in a freaking coffin!

He thought he could Henge himself into something small – like an ant – and crawl out through some hole in the rock. He formed the seals, but the jutsu didn't work, and his body was in agony because of the strain he attempted to add to the level of exhaustion he had already been through.

No jutsu then.

No jutsu at all. Zero. _Nada_.

Naruto clenched his teeth. Now that… that simply was not fair! He kicked the footboard of the box ferociously. What did it matter now that he was wasting his strength and his air? He would hardly need it anymore!

Dead. He was going to die. Here, now. Never become a hero. Never have a friend to bring before the Chief at Mount Oinari. And then… that place, Konoha, it would die too. Everyone. Sakura, Tsunade, Kakashi, Kiba, Hinata… All the new friends he'd made, all the people that had for once in his life been unexpectedly, unconditionally kind to him – they stood no chance against these villains.

Naruto rolled to his side as much as it was possible in the close space and allowed the hostile darkness to devour him. He squeezed his eyes shut. The sooner he fell asleep, the better…

'What can I do?..'

He was half out of this world when a gust of cool air in his face snapped him out of his reverie. He jumped up, blurry walls around him dancing, and bend over the edge of the box. Blood was smeared thickly over the floor. Naruto's stomach lurched.

His gaze flicked wildly all over the room until he forced it to linger on Sasuke who was standing motionless near the vault, arms crossed over his chest. Naruto gasped, wishing to give him a piece of his mind, but his voice disobeyed him.

"Why don't you tell them what they want to know and stop wasting my time?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto took a deep breath, another one, and burst out laughing. He couldn't control it; laughter forced its way out of his throat, savage, fervent, half-crazy. His shoulders quivered.

"Y-your time?" he managed at last. "You're such a… Hell, I hope I get to kill you!"

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am!" Naruto bellowed. "You fucking know who I am, Sasuke! You can go and tell it to your dear friends right the fuck now because this is the last thing you will hear from me!"

He sprang up and got out of the coffin. His knees buckled. He lunged at Sasuke, but Uchiha blocked his attack and shoved him against the wall, cuffing him again. Naruto's body twitched violently. A low growl escaped his mouth.

"Where is your necklace?" Sasuke wanted to know.

The question surprised Naruto. He stopped struggling for a moment, looking genuinely puzzled.

"The green crystalline necklace," Sasuke explained patiently. "Naruto acquired it the year I left Konoha. It seems to be pretty important to him. He never takes it off. Not to my knowledge at least."

"The cord broke," Naruto breathed. "During the battle…"

"How convenient."

"Am I supposed to take the blame for that too? Tell me one thing, Sasuke. Are you letting them do this because you think I'm an impostor or because you believe I'm the real one?"

Sasuke's face remained unchanged. He turned round, ready to leave, but halted on the doorstep, as if having remembered something. His shoulders tensed a little.

"All right. If you're Naruto, tell me what happened between us the day Team Seven was formed."

Naruto rolled his eyes. The bastard certainly had a lame timing for asking questions.

All right. This couldn't be too hard. They fought. Of course they fought, they probably always did; but then, that would be too obvious and Sasuke wouldn't have brought it up.

Sasuke moved closer, drilling him with an intense look. Naruto hated the way his countenance shielded him from revealing emotions; yet that simple blankness of his face could express so much. That made him feel uncomfortable.

"Forgot!" Naruto blurted out. "You know I have a lousy memory."

"I'll give you some hints then," Sasuke said in a steely voice. "We were waiting for Iruka-sensei to announce the team numbers. You were being annoying as always. You got on the desk and started glaring at me for some reason. The class probably expected a fight. A guy in the front row pushed you accidentally. What happened next?"

"I, uh… fell?" Naruto asked hopefully. "On you?" Now that thought was way too funny. He couldn't keep from sniggering.

There was most definitely more. Sasuke shook his head lightly and returned to the door.

"But that doesn't prove anything!" Naruto called after him exasperatedly. "You hear me? Couldn't be anything important, otherwise, I damn near doubt you'd have brought it up at all, emotionless dick that you are!"

The door slid shut, cutting his accusations short.

* * *

_Madara asked why he had killed the Mist nin. __If the answer were actually simple enough to be voiced, Sasuke would feel a lot less like an idiot._

"_He was a hindrance," he replies after a short pause. "What he did hardly served our purpose. He simply satisfied his own base instincts on our account."_

_Madara chuckles indefinitely.__ Sasuke has to admit it has been quite an interesting experience right up to this point. Their collaboration of sorts. Two Uchiha survivors, dancing around each other like wild cats on a hunt, never knowing what exactly the other has in mind._

"_What is your opinion? Is he really Uzumaki Naruto?"_

_The question takes Sasuke unawares.__ Nevertheless, his answer is quick and certain. "Yes."_

"_Which brings us to the ultimate riddle. Who would you kill most readily: a stranger or a friend?"_

_This is all a game to him. Regardless of how things turn, Madara will be content.__ Sasuke disregards his amusement, gets up and leaves the room. He narrowly passes Kisame on the threshold. This man used to be pretty close to his brother; what may he be thinking now?_

_Sasuke moves further into the heart of the hideout, halts briefly and comes back to the door. They wouldn't expect him to eavesdrop. Even he wouldn't expect himself to eavesdrop, but right now he is interested in their conversation._

"_The important part is that Sasuke is with us, and I intend to keep it that way," Madara concludes. "You should not worry about anything else. If the Nine-Tails kid turns out to be an impostor, we shall have to get rid of him. As soon as I get a message from Zetsu, we shall proceed."_

"_What of Hawk?"_

"_They are…" Madara pauses. When he speaks again, his voice is laced with mockery: "A hindrance. I want you to get rid of them. The recon operation scheduled for tomorrow should fail."_

'_Good,' Sasuke thinks with dark satisfaction. 'You've given me a reason to ditch you.'_

_He makes it to the living quarters quickly enough, plans within plans __crowding his head, and when he comes across the loitering and terminally bored Suigetsu, an idea has already matured._

"_Tomorrow is most likely to bring about slight changes in our plans," he informs the Mist ninja. Suigetsu spares him an impassive glance. "I want you to take the Samehada." Hit the spot. Suigetsu stares at him, eyes wide open with amazement. "What's the matter? Isn't that what you want?"_

"_Yeah, but… I thought you couldn't care less."_

"_Like I said," Sasuke responds evasively, "things change."_

"_Darn! Just when I don't have the Head Cleaver on me! Gonna be a bit tough."_

_Sasuke narrows his eyes. "You have Karin and Juugo.__ This isn't the time for games, Suigetsu. We need that sword."_

_Suigetsu wrinkles his forehead. His slanted __eyebrows meet in a frown, but it doesn't last long. A toothy grin appears on his face. Sasuke smirks. It is always easy to negotiate with Suigetsu; just throw him a bone.

* * *

  
_

It was ten days since the battle of Konoha. Ten long, incredibly rich in experience days of being brutally tortured, buried alive, humiliated, interrogated and many other things. If Naruto hadn't hated the world as much as he already did, this could have given him plenty of reasons to do. It had been foolish of him to harbour any hopes for a new life. _His_ life could certainly never become better.

He was hanging in his chains, whistling a song the Chief had once taught him. The old man didn't know, of course, that Naruto had picked it up (usually Naruto would just turn down anything the Chief wanted to teach him as if it sucked by default). By now Naruto had already mostly forgotten the words. His singing resembled more the hissing of a wounded animal.

Footsteps attracted his attention. Strangely enough, he hadn't had a visitor ever since the disappearance of his tormentor and that last conversation with Sasuke. Naruto squinted through his bangs obscuring his vision. Sasuke, his sword at the ready, was coming closer.

"You're just gonna off me then?" Naruto growled. "'Cause I don't remember what the hell happened three years ago? You're a bloody coward, you know that?"

The blade swished overhead. The chains jingled, breaking apart, and Naruto's weakened body lost its fragile balance as he sagged on the floor, astounded. Breath caught in his throat, he let his arms drop and stared at Sasuke numbly.

"Go before I've changed my mind," Uchiha said quietly.

He didn't have to ask twice. Naruto staggered towards the door, his heart thumping in his chest. The halls were empty.

"I'll get back at you, believe it!" he said fiercely. "We're not through yet."

He bolted. His footsteps barely echoed in the stone calls; he ran so fast he couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet. He rushed out of the door and into the sunlit rocky plain and screwed his eyes shut because the sun was blinding him. There came a loud bang from behind, but Naruto ignored it and kept on running.

He was free!

Drunk on the hazy, lost and found feeling, Naruto sped away from the hideout. He had already gone far enough when it suddenly hit him: Why the hell was he running away? He should be kicking Sasuke's ass right now! A breath of fresh air and a bit of motion was in truth all he needed to feel alive again. Now that he had it he could take on Sasuke anytime.

He clenched his fists angrily and made it back to the Akatsuki, dead set on giving Sasuke the works. He had always despised the jerk, but in this world he turned out to be even worse than the one Naruto had had the pleasure of knowing briefly back home. Was the other Naruto _blind_ for heaven's sake? Calling _this_ a friend!

"Listen here, you creep!" Naruto bellowed as soon as he entered the hideout. "I appreciate the noble gesture, but I don't accept charity, so if you think this redeems you after what you've done, you are to be–!"

He had no chance to finish the exclamation. Something flew past him and smashed into the wall. Naruto started and flung himself out of the way of a huge muscular dark-skinned man who approached the heap of black-and-red fabric unhurriedly, whistling like he was taking a peaceful morning walk.

"That's what ya get if ya mess wit' me," he spoke in a deep, rhythmic voice, "the all-around awesome Killer Bee!"

The heap of fabric that turned out to be Sasuke at a closer look rose. His gaze slid past the attacker and lingered on Naruto for a moment.

"Ooh, a friend o'yours?" Killer Bee drawled as he took notice of Naruto as well.

Naruto hiccoughed in surprise.

"Me? No, sir, I'm just here to see the show!" He threw his hands up in a diplomatic gesture. "Do go on!"

To his amazement, Killer Bee shrugged and lunged at Sasuke who counterattacked with his lightning-charged blade promptly. The stroke was deflected with an almost absurd ease. Naruto snorted in amusement and lowered himself on a narrow perch protruding from the wall.

As the battle progressed, he decided that it was the best entertainment he had for ages. The black guy was rapping and clearly winning over Sasuke most of the time (apparently it was a rare treat). Big and imposing as he was, he, nonetheless, moved with some absurd elegance. If tanks could be dainty, they would move like this guy, Naruto thought wryly.

Compared to him, Sasuke looked frail and unpresentable, but he hovered around him like a hornet, delivering his swift, strong blows. Killer Bee's numerous swords that he produced virtually out of nowhere slashed and pierced unceasingly. To him, it was only entertainment.

'Looks like the bastard's in a fix,' Naruto smirked darkly as he glanced at Sasuke. 'Serves him right!'

The duel ended abruptly when Killer Bee finally got serious. He knocked Sasuke off balance, pinned him on the floor and grasped him by the hand that was holding a half-ready lightning bolt. Sasuke was unable to move. Killer Bee turned his hand back, and the lightning bolt plunged into its maker's chest. Sasuke screamed. The man lifted him like a thin reed, clenched his fingers around Sasuke's throat and pinned him to the wall.

"Time to do away with it, idiot baby," he thundered.

"Whoa, slow down!" Naruto blurted out and rushed up to the black giant. Killer Bee cocked his head, his fist still clenched around Sasuke's throat. Light smoke was coming off Uchiha's wounded chest. Naruto caught his breath and went on: "You see, I have a grudge against this guy too, so I was thinking that maybe you could–."

"Oh, be my guest, yo!" Killer Bee stepped aside, but didn't seem like he was about to release Sasuke anytime soon.

Naruto knitted his eyebrows. "Well, actually… How about you let him go so that I could, you know, beat him into a pulp myself? Later?"

"Oh, and why would I do that?"

Good question. Naruto chewed on his lip, looking for a solution feverishly. Then it hit him.

"Because you can rap about it! See, him and me, we go way back. He used to be my friend, but he betrayed me and joined forces with our… enemy!"

'Wow, that rhymes,' Naruto thought with somewhat childish glee. And it clicked.

"From here the story will blow your mind," he said, trying to find a rhythm, "'cause it's a tale of friendship, one of a kind!"

From the look on Killer Bee's face Naruto understood that he had got him interested. He swallowed nervously and snapped his fingers noisily to let the sound clear the daze in his mind.

"Lived in Konoha, best of the best, was the smartest ass, top of the class; a minor obstacle on my road to glory, neither a friend nor an enemy, but a rival for me – for every hero there's gotta be. And takin' missions together we did, had each other covered, but then one day a creepy snake guy to our village came and said he was after a body to play his dirty games, but we drove him away. That caused a commotion, a lot of emotion, and evil things were now set in motion …"

Naruto paused to collect his thoughts. From what he knew about rap, it was mostly about everything and nothing at the same time, and featured scary polysyllabic words that didn't necessarily have to fit in or make any sense.

"So Sasuke's gone and done a deal: his body in exchange for power and skill, because he had a purpose or rather a goal and for that he would trade even his soul. His big brother here is to blame. The death certificate's now signed and sealed; Sasuke's gone down the road of no return – lots of evil techniques and jutsu to learn, maybe even off a friend or two. He'd do whatever it takes to do.

"That's where I come in and say, it's a no-no; but he doesn't listen, comes at me with his Uchiha mojo, thinks he's so cool and tries to waste me, but I ain't going down unless we're both history. Dead set on taking him back; that's Uzumaki Naruto to you! 'Cause I'd do even more than it takes to do!"

"Ooh, hang on, I'll write that down," Killer Bee interrupted and produced a small notebook. He released Sasuke's throat, but leaned heavily against him, his shoulder pinning Sasuke's chest back to the wall.

Naruto glanced at the trapped Uchiha, wondering briefly what he thought of this hazardous relation of his past. Sasuke's eyes were half-shut and veiled with some strange emotion. The loss of oxygen had clearly affected him, but even so, he seemed to be planning to break free from the opponent's grasp, his hand creeping slowly to the shuriken pouch.

"Three years went by in a flash, and then again and again we clash, black and white, evil and good; me, I'm doing more than I should to set the wrong things right, nobody taking away my pride! He kills his bro, but don't go home, infected too hard with the revenge syndrome. He starts a war, and now we fight 'cause he comes to the village to take what's mine. I ain't takin' shit from no one, no thanks. Overwhelmed on all flanks, we stand united against him and his gang. Now, to cut things short, there comes a point where feelings get hurt, and hurt absolutely ultimately; the moral is: Nobody mess with me!"

He was beginning to stray again, the look on Sasuke's face being a major distraction. He still couldn't say what the other was thinking. A kunai, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere, aimed for Killer Bee. The black man knocked it aside like minor hindrance and slammed his mighty fist in Sasuke's face. Naruto winced. That must have hurt. (Not to mention it made him look stupid.)

"A battle like that world's never seen before," Naruto went on rapidly, "but the Akatsuki had many dirty tricks in store. Knocked me unconscious, took me when I'm weak, dragged me down here and held me more than a week. They cut me, they gut me, they slash me and thrash me, and ask me one hell of some stupid questions. Not cracking, I am, so they hurt some more, the pain so strong I never knew before. I keep my mouth shut, make them bitchy as hell, they lock me in a coffin, and I think I'm done in…"

"Your friend don't stop'em? Some friend he's been!"

Naruto tapped some rhythm with the sole of his shoe and grinned. He was beginning to like the game, but it was time to cut the song short, and he deliberated whether he should embellish things a little. In the end he decided in its favour.

"Then I break free and fight my way out, but as I head home my head spins in doubt. Some friend he is, that's the truth, hey-yo, but a friend nonetheless, and I'm taking him home. Take the last Uchiha to the Village of Leaf to get _my_ revenge and to settle our beef."

Killer Bee laughed huskily in delight. Apparently the 'song' suited his taste just fine; he had a few pages covered with messy writing and looked rather content. He moved away from Sasuke; as soon as the pressure was removed from his chest, the youth collapsed on the floor and coughed forcibly to clear his throat. Naruto caught the menacing glint in his eyes; they transformed into the same eyes his demonic visage had nearly destroyed during their battle. 'Not good,' Naruto thought, grasped him by the elbow and pulled him up on his feet.

"So we'll be off then?" he specified.

Killer Bee opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of explosion somewhere at the entrance interrupted him. Naruto craned out his neck and saw a group of unfamiliar ninja pour inside the hideout.

"Oh hell, that's my meddlin' brother's squad!" Killer Bee grumbled. "So he found me then…" He squinted at Naruto appraisingly and smiled broadly at him. "You be off, kiddo, say no more; I'll take them all on this dancefloor!"

Naruto nodded gratefully and bolted, tugging Sasuke along. An exultant "Wheeeee!" echoed through the corridors.

"Why did you come back?" Sasuke wheezed.

Naruto flashed him a puzzled look. "Dude, haven't you heard the song?"

The broad hallway came to a dead end abruptly. A solid wall of impenetrable rock stood in front of them. They darted aside, into one of the narrow corridors, and faced another dead end. Naruto cursed hotheadedly under his breath. His fingers entwined in a set of complex seals; his chakra began leaking, pouring all over him, but something in his chest, an unseen impediment, wouldn't let his power unfold. He felt something warm dribble over his upper lip. Nosebleed.

'Shit! At this rate I can do nothing!'

The enemy ninja burst into the corridor. It was quiet now; perhaps Killer Bee chose not to fight his own men after all.

Sasuke's eyes blazed fiercely. One word dropped in a whisper from his lips:

"Amaterasu!"

The next few things happened very quickly and mixed into a blur. Black flames flared and raged all over the hallway. Something cut them apart like a piece of fabric and tore through, spinning as it came closer to Sasuke. Naruto pushed Sasuke away and collapsed on top of him, his breathing ragged. The walls shook and came crashing down, torn down by the power of the explosion.

Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes and saw something white. He tried to move his head a little. That was a close-up of Sasuke's cheek. Then came the eyes. Black, intense, the red fire completely extinguished. The overstrained blood vessels coloured his retinas scarlet.

Naruto's body was numb. He tried to roll off from Sasuke and learnt that he couldn't. Something was sticking out of his back: a projectile that struck in the close proximity of his lung. Sasuke looked shocked.

"I…" Naruto breathed, his mind slipping. "Don't ask… My body just moved…"

His eyelids drooped shut. He lowered his head powerlessly, cheek to cheek with Sasuke. That wasn't a bad way to die after all. Definitely better than the coffin.


	5. Vita Bella

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU! + Naruto learns more about the world he's stuck in, gets landed with a girlfriend and goes hunting with Sasuke. Not bad for a rookie![Sasuke/Naruto; minor Naruto/Sakura] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _The Long Way Round_ by Eagle Eye and Neneh Cherry.

**A/N**: Exams are killing me. Thank you for your wonderful reviews, guys, you're all making my days constantly! Keep it coming.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_**Vita Bella**_

_People will always take the long way around__,  
Before you know it you'll be lost and found._

_**The City**  
_

Of all the problematic wonders Naruto had faced in this new world Itachi was by no means the least. The concept of 'good' Itachi, Itachi the caring big brother and the law enforcement officer, was foreign and inconceivable to him. However, Naruto had learnt to trust his gut as soon as he'd learnt to walk – and his gut told him there was more to this Uchiha Itachi than met the eye. The brutal, ruthless image he tried so hard to force upon Itachi somehow refused to fit.

Naruto sighed. He had been stuck in a small information booth for almost an hour already, flipping mindlessly through the pages of an address book in search for Uchiha Itachi. He was pretty sure he would be there. He might have even seen his name already and overlooked it, plagued by his hazardous ruminations.

Why did he feel like he owed Itachi an apology?

"Bingo!" Naruto chimed as his finger stopped next to the familiar set of symbols.

He cringed involuntarily. He didn't want to go there – all the more reasons to do it then! Doing things you hated doing was a substantial part of every ninja's training after all.

Itachi lived halfway across the city from Sasuke, near the docks. Dark shapes of seabirds stained the sky; the air in this part of the city was cooler and smelt with salt and fish and seaweed. Naruto loved sea; it brought back the memories which he was particularly fond of: his first ninja mission and snippets of his training with Ero-sennin.

He lingered on Itachi's doorstep for a few minutes, his heart pounding wildly. Either he was about to enter the lions' den and get eaten, or proven wrong in his most sincere belief that Itachi was and forever would be a bad guy. Either way he didn't like the turn things seemed to be taking.

Naruto lifted his fist and knocked resolutely. The sound rolled heavily through the empty corridor. Footsteps came; then, for a short, grim moment there was silence. Finally the door opened.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi breathed. His tone held no animosity but was rather very tired.

The elder Uchiha was leaning heavily on the door that barely stood still under his weight. An unbuttoned blue shirt exposed his chest, lined with vague traces of scarlet scars. His hair, which Naruto had never even imagined as loose, fell freely and messily over his shoulders. Naruto frowned, taking in the feverish glint in his eyes, the pallor of his face, even more striking than usual, and dots of perspiration on his forehead.

"Hey," he muttered, his resolve suddenly shattered. "I was just passing by, y'know… and I kind of have something to ask you about, so I thought–. Hang on! What is _that_?"

His gaze flicked up from a sprinkle of ruby drops on the floor. He shoved the door open wider, making Itachi take a step back. A bright red stain ran over his right sleeve.

"Is that–?" Naruto yanked the shirt down Itachi's shoulder anxiously to reveal a bleeding wound, dressed hurriedly in a thin strip of bandage. It was nothing like a common stabwound, and he assumed it must have been inflicted by one of those fire-weapons. "Holy crap! What the hell is that!? You need to see a doctor. Like… now!"

"I'm fine," Itachi croaked, astounded by Naruto's fretfulness.

"The hell you are! You're bleeding all over the place and if it goes like this, you'll just die from blood loss!"

"I am fine," Itachi repeated stubbornly. His jaw hardened. "I'll see a doctor first thing tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!? Are you crazy?"

Itachi chuckled. Him being so passive in the face of probable death could cause admiration; yet Naruto wasn't about to let Sasuke lose the brother he supposedly loved and needed. He clutched at Itachi's elbow and made an attempt to drag him outside by force. Itachi staggered and pushed him away, gently, yet strongly.

"Trust me, Naruto-kun, I have no intention to die. But I do have important reasons to receive treatment no sooner than tomorrow. I will make it through the night."

He cast the bloodied shirt off and walked, trembling slightly, towards the bed. Naruto watched him, doubtful, as he lowered himself on it, wincing as the pain began to spread. Itachi pulled a blanket over himself, almost up to his chin; his dark eyes turned to regard Naruto once more.

The youth pursed his lips. It wasn't his fault that Itachi wanted to act stupid. Even if he bled to death, Naruto shouldn't worry himself needlessly. For all he knew, it was a bad, lying, evil person dying on that bed.

"I think I'll let myself out then," he said quietly.

Itachi hummed in agreement; his eyelids drooped shut. Naruto turned to the door, then glanced at the man over his shoulder. He looked… lifeless. Naruto groaned helplessly and, slamming the door shut like it was his personal enemy, marched up to the bed and took a seat in the armchair next to it.

'Stupid Itachi!' he thought irritably.

Hours wore on. Stars poured out on the sky outside and twinkled merrily above the city where the busy noise of life gradually faded. When silence became unbearable, Naruto rose and paced uneasily across the small room.

Itachi's place was hardly smaller than his, but it certainly seemed to be, blocked up with boxes and heavy furniture as it was. A desk by the window where stacks of paper were piled up and a small lamp with a green shade that flashed on and off with a quiet buzzing more than once. A bookcase, crammed with books and heavy folders. A squat chest of drawers in the corner. A narrow shelf over the bed, covered with random things: two picture frames, a half-burnt candle, a pair of headphones, a stack of yellow stickers. Naruto moved closer, careful not to disturb the sleeping man, and surveyed the pictures.

The first one was a family portrait: a bored-looking man next to a beautiful, delicate woman and a couple of kids in front of them. Itachi must have been around twelve at the time this was taken. Naruto had to admit he didn't seem to have changed much. It was as though he was born with the same guarded expression he always wore so naturally. Sasuke, on the other hand, had definitely changed. The big-eyed, curious, cautiously smiling creature to Itachi's right simply could _not_ be Sasuke! Yet it was him. Naruto's lips curved into a bitter smile against his will.

The glass of the picture frame was shattered.

The second photo depicted Itachi as well – this time as a grown-up, in the company of an unfamiliar dark-eyed man, probably older by a few years. Both of them were wearing uniforms of some kind. Itachi looked calm and relaxed, a ghost of a smile playing upon his lips. The other man was trying (and nearly failing) to keep his cool, and his wide-open sparkling eyes gave him away mercilessly. His arm was flung casually around Itachi's shoulders.

Naruto sighed. Perhaps things had really gone different in this world.

* * *

Sunrise spilled into the room, scattering its shine all over like specks of sparkling dust. To chase drowsiness away, Naruto had made a tour into the nearest 24-hour shop, taken a walk in the docks and was now back in the arm-chair, allowing himself to doze off for a moment. Itachi was still alive.

Some time later a voice asked him:

"Have you been here all night?"

Naruto blinked, shook himself and cocked his head. Itachi was half-sitting in bed, eyeing him with vague interest.

"Er… of course not!" Naruto said defensively. "Just dropped by. How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you. I think I'll see a doctor today."

Naruto scoffed. About damn time!

He felt awkward when Itachi scrutinized him like that. If someone had told him before that one day he would find himself babysitting a dangerous criminal masquerading as a police officer (or whatever the hell Uchiha Itachi was really) Naruto would have considered it to be a very bad joke.

Itachi shook his head to brush the bangs off his forehead and got out of bed. He was still weak and held on to the wall on his way to the bathroom. Water poured and splashed noisily in the sink. That low, sizzling sound rose and filled everything and when it was off abruptly, there came a shrill outcry of a seagull over the pier.

Itachi approached the wardrobe and picked a clean shirt. Goosebumps covered the skin on his sinewy arms.

"What did you want to ask me about?" he wanted to know.

Naruto hesitated; then, suddenly, he pointed at the shelf above the bed and fired off: "Who's that guy?"

Itachi's eyes darted to the photo. He looked almost sad.

"My senpai at the Police Academy. My partner later on. And my kinsman, Uchiha Shisui."

Naruto arched his eyebrows. He had never heard about that particular Uchiha before (not that he'd heard about so many Uchiha clansmen altogether). Something about the way Itachi had uttered his name alarmed him.

"He was killed on patrol two years ago," Itachi elaborated.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said before he could stop himself.

"It's hardly what you wanted to ask about."

Naruto sighed. Time to get down to business after all.

"That girl that was with me before I was arrested… I was wondering if you could tell me who she was. Long dark hair, dark eyes, kinda jumpy."

Itachi sat down at the table and produced a flat rectangular thing seemingly out of nowhere. He opened it like a book and placed it on the table. Taking a better look at the neat rows of keys and the dark screen that flashed vividly as it awoke from its slumber, Naruto realized it was a computer. Just a very small one, compared to the ones he had seen back home.

"There she is," Itachi said in a few minutes. "Tsuchi Kin. I thought she seemed familiar."

Naruto leaned in to have a closer look at the screen. That was definitely her. The file had little information on her, except that she was eighteen years old, currently unemployed and suspected of terrorism.

"Terrorism!?" Naruto's eyes grew wider. "But that picket was harmless! Well, before some other guys showed up."

Itachi looked very tired all of a sudden.

"You truly are a wonder," he smiled briefly. "She's a halfblood."

"So what? I'm not a racist."

"That has nothing to do with it. If a cub's parents are a wolf and a dog, where does it belong in your opinion?" Naruto hesitated. After a short pause Itachi went on: "Nowhere. It's too violent to live with humans, yet too weak to survive in the wild. Halfblood demons are the same. They are neither demons, nor humans. That's why they fight to survive and resort to the direst measures to make the world accept them. Forget about this girl, Naruto-kun. If she was picked up by police, she's probably way out of your reach now."

Naruto lowered his head. This world, so deceptively attractive, was in truth a place even more brutal than the world of shinobi. At least those born in the hidden villages could learn to accept their destiny from the beginning, whereas here cruelty would hide and take some new, unexplored forms and stab you in the back.

He remembered how frightened the girl had seemed. And he had done nothing to help her. He balled his hands into fists.

"Demons… they're everywhere, right? How is it possible?"

Itachi remained impassive, though a hint of mild amusement seeped into his eyes. "You tell me."

Naruto gazed at him furiously. Why the hell did everyone hint he should know something about that?!

"All right, I shall play along."

Itachi walked up to the bookcase, took a heavy volume and laid it open before Naruto. A small version of the tapestry he had seen in the Oinari Shrine took up the entire spread. Naruto scratched the back of his head wearily. Things that had something to with the Kyuubi never ended well.

"A long time ago," Itachi began, "there was a war between demons and humans. It lasted for so long that even the eldest of humans couldn't remember how it had begun. Humans overtook the land, cut down forests and built cities – only to be thrown backwards by their powerful adversaries. For generations both sides had been equal. Finally, sixteen years ago one of the ancient demon lords made up his mind to join the war. It was the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox of Mount Oinari. It was said that if only he could take Mount Oinari back for his domain, the war would be over and demons would win.

"To prevent this from happening humans assembled nine powerful men from all over the country. These nine risked their lives to seal the beast away. They succeeded, but only one of them would survive."

"The Chief," Naruto breathed.

"As the Monster Fox fell, weaker demons surrendered. The oldest and the wisest of them withdrew into the remaining forests. Others signed a peace treaty with humans, and the Heiwa Era began. As the connections between humans and demonfolk grew stronger, halfbloods began walking out in the open. Very few of them were accepted; mostly even the parents rejected them. They grew aggressive, tried to prove their right to exist by force. That is how all the organizations appeared. The world we live in now may seem peaceful, but in truth it is overrun by prejudice and confusion. I think it will be many years before the repercussions of the Great Wars will have settled."

Naruto listened wordlessly, without interrupting. It was hard to believe that the Kyuubi's attack could be something more than an instinctive desire to wreak havoc. This world wouldn't stop surprising him.

He rose heavily and dragged his feet to the door, this time fully intending to get home and have some sleep. Looking after Itachi had been a tedious job for the night. He lingered on the doorstep upon hearing Itachi's surprised gasp (Uchiha, meanwhile, had made it to the kitchen and opened the fridge).

"Erm… It was empty," Naruto explained. "I didn't know what you preferred, so… Well, I gotta go. See ya! Try to stay alive, okay?"

He slipped outside before Itachi could say something (at the worst, _thank_ him – that was much more than he could bear) and headed home. _Home_. It was odd how quickly he was willing to accept that flat in this city as home. Suddenly he felt exhausted – like it was his shoulder that was hit by a bullet; like it was his blood all over the floor. He yawned, overdosed on the salty sea-sprayed air.

Yes, time to go home. Definitely.

* * *

Naruto had always liked festivals – even though he had never had anyone to keep him company. When he was little, he used to watched Konoha's festivals from afar because should he have attended them, everyone would flash him those empty, enraged looks and try to get as far from him as possible. That time being long gone, he could still remember how much it hurt.

Years later, during his training with Ero-sennin he would see many festivals in various towns. Ero-sennin usually left him alone, too, and vanished into the places Naruto deliberately chose not to visit. He would wander alone, as far from the shining signboards of brothels as possible, buy candy and watch kids run around in cheerful gaggles, laughing and trying to coerce their parents into buying them more of that sweet stuff. He still envied them a little bit.

The city festival that took place a few days after the night at Itachi's wasn't too different. Bright lights of rainbow-coloured torches blazed all over the park. Merry music purled sweetly, alternating with the chime of festival bells and slaps of firecrackers. Intoxicating scents of candy and low-alcohol drinks floated in the air.

Naruto tilted his head, squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Like swigging water on a hot day, unable to stop.

Listening. As if waiting to hear something.

And he did hear something. A female voice, vague, muffled by the noise of the festival, yet clear in his ears, as though calling him. Laughter. Naruto's eyes snapped open. He looked around and found the source of the sound. A slim girl, a bordeaux-and-pink blur in the motley crowd, waved cheerfully at someone. Before Naruto could discern her face, she disappeared like a ghostly apparition. His heart leapt.

Could it be?..

He tore through the crowd, muttering apologies as he pushed people out of his way none too gently. He had to catch up with her. Her pink hair glimmered before him like a mirage. It wasn't necessarily _her_. Moreover, he would be surprised if it were. Perhaps just a girl that somehow looked like her…

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out.

Crowds shifted – just a coincidence, but he could see her clearly now, and she heard him and turned around to see who was calling her. Her hair was longer and the style reminded him of Granny Tsunade. Three neat pinkish clawmarks marred the smoothness of her left cheek, but that only contributed to her exotic looks. She was dressed in bordo with pink and grey installations and, on his memory, she had never looked quite so beautiful.

Naruto came to a halt in front of her and grinned. Instantaneous fear that gripped him at the realization that she might not have known who he was faded as soon as she smiled warmly.

"Oh my… Naruto? What a pleasant surprise!" She threw her arms around him. Naruto hugged her tentatively. She seemed different from the Sakura-chan he was accustomed to, but it was still her. Naruto let out a small breath of relief.

Sakura pulled away, scrutinizing him.

"I missed you," he said sincerely.

"I'm actually surprised you remember me at all! We only went to school together for two months about two years ago – and you wouldn't even look my way."

Naruto gaped at her. That was unexpected. Why would he want to pull a Sasuke around her, especially if this Sakura was actually _interested_!?

"But I did!" he protested. "I was just… afraid you wouldn't look back!"

Sakura laughed. He hadn't seen her laugh like that for ages. Her eyes sparkled with a multitude of emotions like sea waves in the starlight. Seeing her like this brought warm feeling to Naruto's heart. Perhaps she was happy. She had never been in love with Sasuke, never lost him, never knew the pain of being betrayed by your most precious person.

"So what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"Living… actually." Naruto pointed backwards obliquely. "Somewhere over there. You?"

"Just moved. Studying to become a nurse. I'm staying with friends. Come on, I'll introduce you!"

She grasped him by the hand and pulled him along, past the hurricane of faces, so rapidly Naruto couldn't even tell where they were going. To his great confusion, the friends turned out to be Ino and Sai. These two obviously didn't recognize him, and he fell into a puzzled stupor and didn't say a word until the two couples parted their ways near the entrance of the amusement park.

The night seemed absolutely unreal.

Naruto couldn't remember if they had ever had a night like this. Just talking. Not about Sasuke or missions – but about any silly little thing that would come to their minds. Without prying much, Naruto learnt more about Sakura than he had ever known in his world. Until recently, she had lived in a small town on one of the isles (Naruto failed to understand how _he_ had ended up in the same school) and dreamt passionately of getting out of there. Ino, as far as he understood, had been the first to go. An aspiring actress, she had found it hard to adapt to the big city show business rules and was now caught in between castings and microscopic parts in second-rate performances. She had met Sai, predictably an artist (surprisingly, quite successful), after one of those shows and subsequently moved in with him. Whether or not they were an official couple, Sakura couldn't say.

They had both visited her in summer and talked her into sending an application to med school. As soon as she had been accepted, Sakura had joined her friends in the city.

He was glad she did. It puzzled him how close _he_ had always been to knowing the same people Naruto knew. He went to school with Sakura, he lived near Sasuke, perhaps he even knew Kakashi-sensei. Yet neither of them had had such great impact on his life.

"I had a really great time," Sakura said as he walked her to Sai's place.

Naruto smiled, a tad bashfully. Could this be considered… a date?

"Can I see you again?" he blurted out. It came out more aggressively than he would have planned; like he was screaming at her. Sakura giggled, unperturbed. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure. At seven."

She drew near and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Naruto watched, enchanted, as she vanished into the dimply lit hallway. Her dark silhouette flashed behind a set of heavy curtains, joined promptly by a taller, slender form. Naruto shook his numbness off and headed home.

There was light in Sasuke's window.

Naruto smiled wearily, basking in the sweet realization of having a date with Sakura-chan fixed for tomorrow.

* * *

A few days later Naruto found himself undeniably certain about one thing: he got himself a girlfriend.

That was new. He lost count of the times he had dreamt about this: going on a date with Sakura-chan, maybe even kissing Sakura-chan – and finally it was happening.

That day all he could think of was being near her (somehow it pushed aside even the memories of his native world and the dizzying nostalgia he had been feeling lately), breathing in the vague scent of her perfume, reveling in the soft jingling of the bracelets on her wrists. Occasionally, when she stood on tiptoes to whisper something in his ear, her hair would softly brush his skin.

Naruto wouldn't have traded these sensations for the world.

As their date progressed he felt brave enough to ask her about the marks on her cheek.

"Birthmarks," she answered non-evasively. "I used to wear powder to cover them, but I've come to realize that demon marks are nothing to be ashamed of. You're wearing yours in the open, right?"

"D-demon marks?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"I'm a halfblood. Demon Mom, human Dad." Sakura paused, then added hesitantly: "You're okay with that, aren't you? I know you're pure and–."

Naruto threw his arm around her shoulders reassuringly. More of that demon rubbish! It was a baggage he really wanted to shove as far away as possible.

They saw a movie and had dinner at a small, cozy café. It turned out that neither of them had enough money to pay for their meals. They ended up escaping from the café and ran without stopping till the end of the street, laughing madly. They raided a candy store and walked out of it with pockets full of some bizarre sweets that were neither sugarplums nor chewing gum and painted their tongues in chemical colours as soon as they took them in their mouths. As they passed a beautiful ensemble of flower-beds, a brilliant idea dawned upon Naruto. He flung one of the shuriken that he still carried absent-mindedly in his pouch and cut down a few flowers. He caught them as they were drooping and presented them to the unsuspecting Sakura. Her eyes sparkled gleefully. A moment later a gust of wind from a passing car tore the bouquet out of her clutch, leaving a single flower. Sakura wrinkled her nose in dismay, but soon smiled again and entwined the remaining flower into her hair.

They spent most part of the night wandering about the city both of them hardly knew and managed to get lost in the maze of alleys three times in a row. The road inevitably took them to a grand building surrounded by a guard so numerous that it seemed to fill the entire square. It turned out to be the Prime Minister's residence (whatever it meant) and they bolted as soon as they learnt that, unwilling to hang so close around an official's house.

As they parted, Sakura cupped the back of his head and kissed him without a warning. Unprepared, Naruto responded clumsily and thought for a moment that compared to mastering ninjutsu of new levels this was damn hard. When she pulled away and looked at him worriedly, all he could do was breathe, "Wow!" and thus ask for more. Her lips tasted faintly of cherry and mint.

When he returned home he couldn't help but notice the way the blinds in Sasuke's window shifted.

* * *

Having a girlfriend, Naruto soon learnt, wasn't as drastically different from having a friend as he had feared at some point. In a way it was even better because it featured kissing.

As well as some challenges.

Like dancing, for example. Naruto would never have ended up in such close proximity of a dancefloor had he known she would make him dance. At first it felt awkward to synchronize his movements with hers, to feel her wrap her arms around him and to trip every now and then, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. In time he learnt that it could be as much fun as sparring if he put enough effort into it and decided he was not such a bad dancer after all.

(At least he doubted Sasuke could do better.)

Then there was Sakura trying to clean up his place. Naruto who had always been a pro at leaving litter about every corner imaginable took it as a personal challenge. He would rush out of the balcony door to see her approaching and thunder down the stairs like a cannon-ball to stop her from coming in to see the mess. It was only outside that he would notice she had already jumped up on the balcony with the aid of her supernatural agility and stuck her tongue at him playfully. Naruto would leap up and fervently try to keep her away from dirty dishes, empty ramen cups and scattered clothes. They would incidentally make so much noise it would rouse half the neighbourhood, overturn some furniture and lie, exhausted, panting and laughing, their fingers entwined and their lips stretched in mad smiles.

They would stand on the doorstep, kissing until their lips could take no more, and they would stargaze on the roof, and occasionally Naruto would catch cautious movement behind Sasuke's curtains or an immediate flicker of light in his window.

Once, a while after Sakura had gone back to her place, he spotted Sasuke on the balcony. He waved at him, but the youth didn't react.

* * *

The wanting to see Sasuke in action, on a hunt, hadn't forsaken Naruto completely, even despite the disaster it had ended in before. It was only natural that one day he waylaid his evasive neighbour in the street and decidedly followed him. Once again Sasuke was clad in his dark kimono, a crossbow at his back and black wristbands hiding small silver knives on his arms.

"Hey!" Naruto chimed, not bothering to hide this time; it was futile against Sasuke.

"Oh, look, it's alive," Sasuke muttered with assumed disappointment.

Naruto grinned cheerfully and continued walking next to him.

"You didn't really think I'd give up on you, did you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sasuke drawled. "Though I'm under the impression you've been quite busy on your own, what with the cute little halfbreed girlfriend and all."

Naruto's eyes slowly acquired a dangerous glint.

"Don't you say one bad word about Sakura-chan," he said in a low voice, his teeth clenched.

Sasuke shrugged. After a moment of strained silence Naruto reverted back to his usual carefree persona.

"So who are we hunting today?" he asked unabashedly.

"We?"

"Yeah, and don't even think of ditching me like last time!"

Sasuke heroically resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Some dumb demon."

"Hey! Why d'you have to be such a jerk? No need to discriminate!"

To his amazement, Sasuke began laughing quietly. It cut Naruto's indignant outburst short.

"A dumb demon is a demon that can't talk. Like an animal compared to a human being."

Naruto's lips formed a pouty line. "Right! I totally knew that."

Darn, it was bad enough to have previous Sasuke treat him like a moron; like hell he'd let this one continue in the same fashion! Naruto was going to elaborate upon it when Sasuke lunged forth all of a sudden, and he ended up toppling over on the sidewalk. Sasuke halted, assuming a battle stance.

"Stay low!" he barked at Naruto.

Small knives flickered between his fingers. He crossed his arms in front of him and flung the weapons forth. The barely visible strings attached to the hilts whizzed through the air.

The target was a grotesque-looking skeletal form that staggered in their direction, making long-drawn-out noises that seemed to be born deep inside its throat and had to fight their way out in the most ferocious manner. The knives dipped into its body, grazing the protruding bones with a gritting sound.

The creature wailed.

Sasuke drew the strings and pulled. The demon tilted its shapeless head backwards and belched out a low-pitched, yet loud scream. Naruto shut his ears automatically.

A grimace of pain distorted Sasuke's face, but he held on to the strings stubbornly. Coarse and dense, they left red imprints on his fingers.

Naruto willed himself to rise. He would not just sit there, letting the stupid demon overpower Sasuke! If that were the Sasuke he knew, he would take it out in a blink of an eye – literally – with his Sharingan. He would smash this ugly bag of bones with his Chidori and fry it with the Katon. Metal and fishing line were no good against a creature like this.

"Naruto! Don't–!" Sasuke spat.

It distracted him and caused him to lose control of one of the strings. The knife slipped out, and the demon bellowed ecstatically. He tugged brusquely at the string. Sasuke lost his balance and skidded over the slippery asphalt right up to the prey. Naruto charged, but the demon turned abruptly, threw up its thin leg and pushed Naruto away. The youth barely had enough time to regroup as he fell.

The demon's claws landed on Sasuke's arm, slashing through the wristband. The remaining knives clanged as they poured out on the ground. Sasuke maneuvered adroitly, almost at the speed of a ninja, pushed off from the nearest street-torch and landed behind the temporarily confused adversary. The string draped around the demon's neck, and he tightened the noose. The demon wheezed.

Sasuke balled a fist and plunged his arm elbow-deep into the demon's torso. The flesh split with a dry sound like a costume that was tearing apart at the seams. Sticky grey discharge gushed forth.

"You got him!" Naruto cheered.

The arm the demon had scratched trembled lightly. Sasuke skewed his eyes up on it. Slowly, determinedly, the creature began to turn around, ignoring Sasuke's hand that was still inside him.

Sasuke gasped. His arm ceased to obey him. The demon grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him backwards. Sasuke crashed on the sidewalk; a small groan escaped his lips. His arm was paralyzed, burning claw-marks overflowing with yellowish pus.

The demon rushed at him. The last knife flickered in the air and came down into the softness of Sasuke's palm. The blade plunged deep into the asphalt, nailing Sasuke's other hand to it. Uchiha clenched his teeth to contain the outcry of pain. A set of long, knife-like teeth opened up over him.

Naruto darted towards the two and pushed the demon aside. They rolled over each other like a pair of rolling stones unable to stop.

"Don't let the fluid touch you!" Sasuke cried out.

The demon yowled and sank its teeth into Naruto's shoulder.

Sasuke's voice broke. "No!"

With a quiet 'poof!', Naruto's body vanished. Another Naruto landed near Sasuke and pulled the knife out of his palm.

"How did you–?"

"Cool, isn't it? Love that trick. Never stops saving me."

Sasuke's arm still refused to function. He reached for the crossbow that had fallen off and lay a couple of metres away from him. Meanwhile, the demon gathered his wits and charged to attack again. Sasuke estimated the situation and was dimly conscious that his speed was now no match for the demon's agility. His fingers clenched around the handle of the crossbow.

Too late.

A forceful tug swept him aside and pinned him to the ground. Sasuke pulled the trigger without a pause and watched past the mop of yellow hair as the arrow went smoothly into the demon's skull. It cracked open like a dry coconut. A small paper tag at the end of the arrow burst in flames and the demon crumbled to dust. Sasuke let out a small breath of relief.

"Naruto, get off me, will you?" he said gruffly. No response. He added graciously, "Please."

The blockhead deserved some credit. He made a few useful moves today.

Naruto remained motionless. Sasuke frowned and pushed him off resolutely. It took him a few moments to realize something was wrong.

Naruto was quiet. If there was one thing Sasuke knew about him, it was that Naruto was _never_ quiet. Unnatural pallor covered his face; dark whisker-marks stood out against it in stark contrast. Sasuke leaned into him. No breath was coming out of his mouth.

"Fucking hell!"

The gaki's poison still had full effect on his body. Sasuke could barely move. His hand bled profusely; the clotted red pool on the asphalt was growing larger by the minute. Gaki… The demon of hunger, out in the street, in broad daylight! And Naruto just had to be there! Could things get worse from here?

Apparently, they could and they did, taking some kind of sadistic pleasure in it. Naruto wasn't breathing, wasn't going to start breathing, and his heart decided to go into some sort of hibernation. Sasuke examined him and found a deep furrow across his back, seething with venom. The monster got him.

Trembling slightly, Sasuke fished the cell phone out of his belt-pouch. He could barely overcome the clattering of his teeth as he spoke into the receiver in a dull voice:

"I need your help. There's a casualty."

* * *

_The last time Sasuke was so afraid he was seven and standing alone in the empty house on the slippery bloodstained floor._

_He is sixteen now and a notorious demon hunter, branded with many scars, each screaming more eloquently than another to prove his worth. Fear is a dated word in his vocabulary. Yet he is shaking as he lets go of Naruto's limp body and watches Tsunade haul him away into the examination room of a small private clinic. She is the best; that's why he came to her. He can't do more than wait and trust her._

_If the moron dies on him…_

_Sasuke balls his fists. The stupid demon brat has just saved his life. That's… preposterous. It's something to be expected from Itachi; hell, even from Orochimaru at a certain point in time – but never from a stranger, an annoying idiot whom he has already told off so many times. What right did he even have to save him!?_

_Stuck in the waiting room, Sasuke remembers involuntarily their first meeting. Three years ago. A week since Sasuke moved in; one day since Naruto did.__ He wore an orange jumpsuit, so bright it hurt the eye, and stupid green pilot goggles. His hair stuck up like dandelion fluff. His voice was so loud it filled up the entire street and slopped over the tops of buildings, threatening to flood the city. _

"_My name is Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself. "I'm related to the Monster Fox of Mount Oinari."_

_Sasuke realized he had never hated anyone as much as this orange nightmare before. What was this bragging? Some cheap glory quest?_

_He rubs his eyes wearily as he snaps out of the flashback and blinks sleepily a few times. Now that the shock has gone, exhaustion claims him once again. He scolds himself for breaking one of his most important working rules: to have as much rest before the hunt as possible._

_More than one, actually. That _moron_!.._

"_You okay?" Tsunade wants to know. He hasn't noticed her coming in._

"_Still reeling. I've never been so close to failing the hunt."_

"_The kid'll be up in no time. He's really strong. Is he a friend?"_

_Sasuke frowns. "He's just an annoying neighbour."_

"_I love this remarkable ability you have to come unscathed out of every shit you get yourself into," Tsunade says. "Otherwise, it would have gone against my principles to do this."_

_She lands a punch on his face. It throws him backwards, and he tumbles down, pain shooting through his jaw, spurting all over his face in concentrations of colour. A tooth seems to be coming loose. Sasuke holds his hand against his cheek, eyeing the woman madly._

"_What the hell were you thinking!?" Tsunade fumes. "It's the most stupid thing I've ever seen you do, Uchiha! You of all people should know that a gaki's fluid is lethal for ordinary humans–!"_

"_I didn't ask him to follow me, okay?" Sasuke protests. "He's just so dumb that it's pointless to try and bang something into his stupid th–. Hang on…" The realization sinks in__. Sasuke stares at her, befuddled. "Naruto is a demon."_

_Tsunade lets out a harsh, rather unwomanly laugh. "As much as you and I."_

"_No, there has to be some mistake! He's pureblood and he keeps blabbering about it all the time!"_

"_Either he's lying to the world," Tsunade shrugs apathetically, "or his blood is lying to me."_

_She beckons him to the microscope. He knows enough about blood chemistry to see that an __example he is looking at is not demon blood. That's damn near impossible! The blockhead loved bragging about his heritage for as long as Sasuke has known him! Until some time ago when he suddenly began denying it, but that's off the point. One cannot _stop_ being a demon!_

"_There is something uncommon about him," Tsunade says. "Demonic, even. But underneath it all he's just a regular guy. Who was very lucky today."_

_Sasuke snorts. Naruto is anything but a 'regular guy'! But she wouldn't believe him if he told her._

_She takes him to the examination room where the blond stupidity is resting, all fixed, on the __gurney. By the time Sasuke approaches him, he is half-conscious. He mumbles something unintelligible; Sasuke catches his own name and listens closely._

"Gotta do it…_" Naruto whispers. "_Avenge Ero-sennin… Bring Sasuke back… I made a promise. Come home…_"_

"_What's that about?" Tsunade breaks in._

_Sasuke flashes her a slightly disorientated look. He has no idea and he is not sure he really wants to know. Knowing the demon brat is not a demon at all is already a hard revelation._

"G-granny Tsu… nade…_" Naruto breathes._

_Tsunade's gaze is fixed on him. His eyes are half-opened; they gleam wetly and fervently from beneath the heavy eyelids. By the way Tsunade's cheeks flush, Sasuke can tell she is surprised to hear her name come out of his mouth. He is not supposed to know her – because she doesn't know him._

_Little by little, his breathing deepens. His eyelids droop, and he falls asleep. Sasuke watches him as minutes fly by. The pain in his pierced palm is gone, driven away by painkillers and a soft bandage; the other hand works at last. The fight weakened him, but it's a passing inconvenience. To his amazement, he is more worried about Naruto than himself._

"_You're gonna take him home," Tsunade whispers playfully in his ear. "And you're gonna be nice to him. Because, you know, Uchiha, it's not every day that someone wants to give his life for you."_

_Deep inside the realization that she is right__ burns him._


	6. Catastrophe Keeps Us Together

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU… and they change places! + An unlikely alliance is formed.[Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _Cry_ by James Blunt. Contains a reference to _Apocalypse, Please?_ by Helike.

**A/N**: Sorry for the wait, guys! Uni's been driving me crazy. Thank you for your brilliant reviews, I treasure each and every one of them. Concerning Sasuke's actions in this chapter: I do realize he might seem strange, but he's found himself in a really difficult situation. You know what they say: you have to twist and turn if you want to live. Thus Sasuke is being more of a jerk than he usually is. Also, the pronouns the characters use for the Kyuubi might seem confusing. I'm doing it on purpose: the AU characters call the Kyuubi and suchlike 'he'; the canon ones call them 'it'.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_**Catastrophe Keeps Us Together**_

_Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,_

_I'm a friend._

_**Outside the Akatsuki hideout**_

Not dead.

Felt good, for starters.

Naruto took a deep, barely conscious breath and opened his eyes. It seemed his life became an endless chain of passing out and waking up to feel more pain.

No, there wasn't any pain this time. His wounds were bandaged and seemed to be healing as he lay elsewhere, surrounded by dry, tender warmth. He felt lazy and sleepy and would have given anything just to keep lying like this.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. As soon as he collected enough strength to try and sit up, he found himself pinned back to the ground. Sasuke straddled him and pressed a kunai against his jugular vein.

"You look tired," Naruto commented.

Uchiha narrowed his red-rimmed eyes.

"Why did you save my life?"

"Did you patch me up just to ask me that and then kill me? How perfectly predictable, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's fist connected with his jaw in a swipe that passed like a blur before Naruto's eyes. Sparks exploded underneath the eyelids that he squeezed shut.

"I saved you," Naruto hissed contemptuously, "to kill you myself. You deserve a hell of a lot more than a quick death in battle."

Once more, a question followed, "Who are you?" That particular combination of sounds and syllables sickened Naruto. Before he could bellow an indignant, "You know who I am!" Sasuke released him and said constrainedly:

"Don't lie to me."

Unrestrained, Naruto got up. They stood in a small rocky hollow not too far from the hideout. Judging by the scattered cinders, a campfire had recently been ablaze.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Naruto said, embittered. Part of him desperately wanted to see Sasuke's reaction.

"Try me." After a moment of silence, Sasuke released a slow, tentative breath. "Okay. No Henge would have held on for so long, so that's not an option. Some long lost twin brother?"

Naruto burst out laughing. The guy definitely had a pretty lame imagination! Then again, anyone would have gone for the obvious at first.

Unperturbed by his harsh reaction, Sasuke mused for a while and then ventured another guess:

"An idiot clone with the will of his own?"

Naruto arched his eyebrows. Clone, huh? As much as he would have liked to know what other insane ideas Sasuke had in store, the guessing game was getting rather tedious.

"You'll never know the truth unless I tell you," he cut him off. "And I'm not planning to. Deal with it."

Now that he had safely established he could walk, it was time to do what people with functioning legs usually did in such a situation: flee. What Naruto wanted most at the moment was never to see Uchiha's face again. He turned round and dragged his feet up the smooth slope of the hillock without any further preliminaries.

"You don't have to go back," Sasuke said all of a sudden, making Naruto stop.

That was _it_.

"In case you haven't noticed," Naruto bellowed, enraged, "I _was_ there! I fought for Konoha and I intend to do it again. You let me go, remember? Or will you go back on your word?"

"That place has nothing to do with you."

Naruto laughed. "Oh yes, I'm just a poor innocent bystander. Remind me, was that why you let them torture me?"

An unfamiliar feeling flashed in Sasuke's eyes. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Naruto couldn't define it. If anything, it made him despise Sasuke even more. The goddamn drama queen, the tough façade hiding a silly little boy lost. Naruto could see too many parallels between them, and Sasuke's was the fate he had been subconsciously trying to escape for as long as he could remember.

"Go somewhere else," said Sasuke in a determined voice. "Anywhere. Away from the village. Just get lost."

Naruto cast him a scornful glance. Funny, he was about to say the same thing.

"I'm going back," he stated firmly. "Now, what'll you do about it?"

He was still too unfocused to see the blade of the Kusanagi as anything but a metallic flash as it pierced his side. Sasuke drove it in and pulled it out in a blink of an eye. Naruto cursed softly under his breath and fell to his knees. All that work fixing him laid to waste by a simple, well-aimed blow. No, Sasuke didn't plan to kill him yet; otherwise, he would have hit his heart. It wasn't so difficult.

Naruto picked up a few sharp chips of rock and flung them at Sasuke. Uchiha managed to dodge most of them; one cut him across the cheek. His features remained unchanged; his eyes, black and solemn, without a trace of red, betrayed no emotion. He seemed to be lost in thought, and Naruto couldn't blame him. One more blow could fix everything.

He delivered it. Shut his eyes, lunged instantly and nailed Naruto to the hard rock. Hit the lung.

'Damn…'

There was a stifled sound of someone choking with blood.

"I'll be okay," Naruto spat. "You could have killed me before. Could have let them do it. Why didn't you?"

Sasuke's breath came out in short, heavy gasps. He seemed to pay attention to it only now and tried to take it under control before he hyperventilated.

"That was never my objective," he said coolly. "You won't let me kill you now either. You're too stubborn to die. But… maybe you will finally shut up!"

Naruto's lips formed a smile. Whatever the bastard was trying to do served quite the opposite purpose. To save him, not kill him. Whenever Naruto pulled too many pranks that hurt too many people, he would always try to make amends. There would be a space of time, like those few minutes between sunset and night when the sun had already set, yet the darkness had not fallen completely, when he would try diligently to do something good. Because the Chief always told him: No matter how much evil you have done, one good deed will always outweigh it.

Sasuke was trying to do exactly the same.

"We have said our goodbyes." He was adamant.

Naruto sat up, putting all his remaining strength into this motion. He had been cut up too often for the past days and he wasn't apt to let it continue. He grasped Sasuke by the hand and pushed him away, and then he rose and pulled the blade out.

"Dream on. We're far from over."

His fingers entwined, forming a set of necessary seals. Swirls of red chakra danced over his wounds. Finally he could access his legacy, no chains or drugs to keep him from falling into a fit of demonic fury.

"You want to stop me," Sasuke said. It wasn't a question. "Go ahead, try. But I can't let you interfere."

Naruto's face muscles twitched. The guy sure had an uncanny weapon: he could bore people to death and he knew how to use it to his advantage. Still clutching the sword, Naruto dashed forward. It was his turn.

"I didn't ask for your permission," he said as he took a step back. Sasuke was kneeling before him, holding the wound that was hardly dangerous but wouldn't let him move much anyway. He looked almost surprised. "There's one big difference between me and the Naruto you've known," Naruto added briskly. "I don't give a damn about what happens to you."

"You can't stop me," Sasuke said hoarsely. "You know that, don't you?"

Unexpectedly, Naruto lost his balance and fell to his knees next to him. Tossed the sword aside, liberating him, and watched dully as Sasuke careened forth until his nose was almost touching the ground. Both of them were so _tired_.

"Isn't this enough?" Naruto asked bitterly. "Tell me…"

"Some things… I guess you just develop a habit for them…"

Naruto snorted. It was the lamest excuse he had ever heard.

"So you developed a vengeance habit? Your brother's dead, isn't he? Why then–?"

"They haven't told you everything!" Sasuke cried out. A sharp intake of breath his speech short. A few moments passed before he could speak again. "They haven't told him everything. My brother… He was forced to kill the clan, because Konoha's Elders made him do it! I will…" He looked up, his eyes gleaming wetly. "I will not forgive them!"

Naruto's mouth fell open. He wondered if anything could make this story more melodramatic.

"I can't just leave it like this. The story of my clan… the heroes of Konoha… it was all a lie. That is why…" His breath hitched. He brushed his bangs off his forehead and went on fiercely: "I will crash Konoha. I must wash this bloodstain off the face of the world."

Naruto stared at him in silence. For a moment it became absolute. He couldn't even feel his own heartbeat. All that rage… The guy should have been born a demon. Perhaps he would be, in another life.

Memories of solitude flooded his mind. Children calling him a monster, throwing lumps of dirt in his direction. Matrons making defensive signs upon seeing him. They made him angry. They made sure he would continue to wreak his anger on them. When the Chief scolded him, he would yell and blame it all on him because it was his damn fault anyway. To raise a demon child in a human village! That was unheard of.

"This is an era when humans and demons must live together in peace," the Chief had once said. "Yet you have not made a single human friend."

"What, what? Do you have any friends, Chief? Never seen any!"

The Chief's face had grown very pale and suddenly exploded in an outburst of emotions. It had been fun to watch: a jumble of eyes and nose and mouth full of teeth trying and nearly failing to assume their rightful positions.

"You idiot!" the Chief had barked. "All eight of my friends–! Died long ago fighting your father!!!"

"Then if friends are so important, why don't you hurry and go to them!?" Naruto had countered.

At least no one had ever lied to him. He knew from the start who he was. Knew who was to blame for his misfortunes – and deep inside he knew that he had never blamed them. Simply could not. Perhaps if he had taken an opportunity to avenge his father's demise, he would have been happier.

Or not, if Sasuke was any indication.

"I can't let you take it from me," Sasuke said. "I wanted you to live, but that obviously conflicts with your plans."

Naruto caught him forming the seals and skidded backwards. Jolts of fire lunged at him, whirling all around him. Enclosed in a tight flaming ring, he jumped up, turned a somersault and attacked from above. So much for atonement. Not that he actually minded. He hadn't lied to Killer Bee, after all. Kicking Uchiha's ass had been part of his plan all along.

He could take him out in a heartbeat. All he needed was to fold his fingers in a special manner and perform the transformation jutsu. He could do it now; the awareness gnawed at him ferociously.

He chose not to. For some reason he felt like it wasn't supposed to end this way. Not now.

They fought long and hard, jutsu after jutsu being fired at incredible speed. To give him credit, Sasuke was aiming for the kill. No more 'pity' bullshit. Plain old 'to the death'. This, Naruto could take from him.

In the end they collapsed on the rocky ground a few metres apart and lay there, breathing heavily. It was highly unreasonable of them to fight so close to the hideout with the crazy black ninja and the Akatsuki lurking nearby; and Naruto had only just begun to realize it.

"Time-out, d'you mind?" he exhaled. "Much as I might want you dead, this isn't the time or the place. There's a war going on in the village. How about we meet on the battlefield and do it the right way?"

He scrambled up on his feet, deliberately staying away from Uchiha in case he did something stupid. It didn't look like he was going to, but one could never be too cautious. Naruto surveyed him apprehensively, taking in his bangs, permeated with sweat and plastered to his forehead, dark circles around his eyes and his parted lips.

"What is it about Konoha?" Sasuke queried. Fortunately, he made no effort to get up. "Why would you risk your life for this place?"

It sounded like a typical 'villain talk' to Naruto. His lips curved. Seeing as things were heading in a really peculiar direction, he might as well have indulged his opponent.

"They were nice to me. Those villagers. No one has ever been nice to me. Not like that anyway. Not like I was part of something big and important. My first day there, I was like, what the hell is going on? There was this girl, Hinata. Her team found me outside Konoha. The battle was in full swing, and I sort of… zoned out. Couldn't orientate myself. Then this big beastie attacked, and it would have crushed me. Hinata pushed me away and nearly got herself killed." He fell quiet, smiling at his thoughts, and went on in a few moments: "It may seem stupid, but back where I come from no one would do anything like that for me."

Sasuke closed his eyes. Their duel tied, Naruto strolled away from the battlefield in a surprisingly good mood. Uchiha didn't intend to follow him.

* * *

Seven hours, three circles and one tree uprooted in a fit of unbeatable exasperation later Naruto was forced to come to terms with the fact: he got lost. And not the peace-of-cake 'I'm-new-in-town-how-do-I-get-to-the-ramen-shop-thank-you-very-much' lost! No, this was a full-blown 'lost-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-swarming-with-enemy-ninja' which made him panic inwardly. Of all his foolish enterprises, this must have been the worst.

"Do you have the faintest idea where you're going?"

The question startled him; voice rather than words. Naruto threw up his head, skimming through the surroundings curiously.

"And you care, why exactly?" he teased.

"I could point you in the right direction."

Uchiha's rigid form glared through the thick leafage. A moment later he showed up standing on a branch facing the road not too far from Naruto.

Naruto snorted. "You're not exactly the good Samaritan type, if you know what I mean."

Uchiha was on the ground near him in a blink of an eye. How could a human move so fast, ninja or not? Naruto tensed, ready to counterattack. However, Sasuke appeared unwilling to fight. That was new.

"Suppose you got to me," he said slowly. "That thing about people being nice to you was…"

Naruto burst out laughing.

"Hold there! You just _can't_ lie! Truth, please."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. That familiar menacing expression was by all means more becoming than the ridiculous mask of repentance he had been trying to put on earlier.

"I lost my team," he said dryly. "I have the Akatsuki and the Hidden Cloud on my back, and I'm alone. You may think I'm base, but it's all about personal benefit, isn't it? I want Madara dead as much as I want the Elders dead. It's only a matter of who goes first."

Naruto wrinkled his forehead, processing the information. That was low. Almost his kind of low. Maybe even lower. But still, Konoha could use him. And Sakura would probably be happy to see him. She would most likely thrash the life out of him first and then be happy to see him, but that still counted, in Naruto's opinion.

On the other hand, leading an aggressive jerk hell-bent on revenge straight to the target of said revenge was about as good an idea as tossing a delayed-action bomb in the middle of the village.

"What if I say no?" Naruto specified.

"What do you think they'll do when they find out you're not really Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

Dangerous waters filled with sharks, piranhas, stinging jellyfish and toxic waste all at once were closing up around Naruto. He _wouldn't dare_! Or would he?..

"They won't know," Naruto said uncertainly.

"They will if I tell them. Which is what I will do if I'm not coming with you now."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Who would have thought Uchiha could sink so low? Blackmail it was, then. He smirked and waved his hand dismissively.

In silence, they moved side by side along the road. It sped downhill past the receding trees and entrained into a large open space overflown by grass. It swayed lightly in the wind, emerald-green, streaked with yellow and reddish. Separately, its graceful blades resembled dancers performing some exotic ballet.

Naruto failed to notice when Sasuke had taken charge. He didn't seem to mind; by far Uchiha's lead proved to be quite useful: at least they stopped walking in those pitiful circles. To his surprise, less than half an hour into the halt, Sasuke ordered him to get up and run.

They ran at top speed so that even the stillness of the fields turned against them and winds arose around them. When they finally allowed themselves a moment of rest, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt and barked in annoyance:

"Would you care to explain, dickhead?"

"We are being followed," Sasuke replied calmly.

'Damn him for having a good reason for this insanity!' Naruto thought bitterly.

Their followers were the same bunch of dark-skinned shinobi that had attacked them earlier in the hideout. The Hidden Cloud, Sasuke had called them.

"We need to shake them off," Uchiha said. "There're too many of them. Neither you nor I are in condition to fight now."

Naruto swallowed a scornful remark about how Sasuke was solely to blame for this, and peered intensely at the group of their pursuers. They were scattered on the road now, conferring over something, while their target observed them quite near.

Naruto frowned as he noticed the absence of Killer Bee. He couldn't say why but he half-expected him to reunite with his comrades.

"He's a Jinchuuriki," Sasuke remarked, having guessed his thoughts. "I don't suppose they will just let him go. He's far too valuable, and not only to the Akatsuki."

"Jinchuuriki?"

"He has a demon inside. Like…" After a brief moment of doubt Sasuke forced the name, "Naruto."

A fleeting thought crossed Naruto's mind: What a dismal fate to be used by everyone, even your own people. He willed it away as they took off again, dodging and muddling up their trace. It was daybreak when they made a real halt. Naruto's throat felt raw and burning with thirst. He dipped his hand into a clear spring near which they made camp, fingers almost touching the brownish silty mud on the bottom, and brought a handful of water up to his lips. It was cold and oddly vapid.

Having quenched his thirst, Naruto stretched on the brittle grass, hands beneath the back of his head, and observed Sasuke who sat on the bank, still as a statue. The rising sun traced a sliver of gold across his face. He squinted lightly when sunlight was in his eye. His eyelids fluttered, laying small shadows upon his cheekbones.

"I'm going to have to ask you again," Sasuke said. "Do you have a plan?"

Naruto yawned. Watching him when he was silent was far more entertaining than actually talking to him.

"Who needs a plan?" he grumbled. "I'm Spontaneity-sama, do what first comes in mind. And here the first thing that comes in mind is to waltz in, show them whose kung-fu wins and kick their sorry asses."

Sasuke turned to look at him. The sun was behind him; Naruto could barely read the expression on his overshadowed face.

"Kung-fu?"

"Er… it's a figure of speech. You don't actually have to use it."

Sasuke continued staring at him which made Naruto feel uncomfortable. It had been pretty obvious from the start that the guy had about as much sense of humour as that river slime, but oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"What do you suggest then?" Naruto asked.

"We need supplies. We'll have to make a small detour. Just a few days."

Naruto growled softly under his breath and rolled to his side, his back on Sasuke. The guy was _un-fucking-believable_! Balancing between two almost equal desires: to strangle him and to – good heavens! – help him (maybe just a bit), Naruto closed his eyes and told himself he needed to go to sleep. That, however, wasn't supposed to happen, seeing as Sasuke's gaze drilling his back wouldn't let him relax.

"Anything else you want to ask?" Naruto muttered. The question that followed was strange, to say the least.

"Who are you?"

Naruto sprang up, fuming.

"Okay, that's it! Haven't we already been through this? You want a formal introduction? Fine! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I'm related to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox of Mount Oinari from the Land of the Rising Sun. Happy?"

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows. "Related?"

"Yes! As in father/son relations."

Sasuke cocked his head, mulling over what he'd just heard. Naruto caught his breath, still angry with him and himself and every single thing in both accursed worlds. He lowered himself back on the ground and pulled his knees up to his chin.

"That's why they couldn't get the Fox out of you," said Sasuke; to himself rather than to Naruto. "You _are_ the Fox." Something indefinite flashed in his eyes. He breathed in slowly. "Does that mean that Naruto is–?"

"In a better place," the youth scoffed. Sasuke's face darkened. "Wait, no, I didn't mean he was dead! Not that kind of a better place! Just… seeing as I'm here, he's probably where I should be at the moment. And you could say that place _is_ better. There's no war at least."

Suddenly he didn't feel like sleeping at all. He spread his fingers wide apart and was peering at them for no particular purpose. Crescents of dirt were visible beneath his fingernails; he began picking it out absent-mindedly.

"I think he's okay," he said a few minutes later. "He's definitely okay if he's anything like me. If the Chief – that's kind of our Hokage – let him go back to the city in one piece, that is."

Soft rustling of grass was heard. Naruto looked briefly over his shoulder to see Sasuke stretching out on the bedding made from his cloak. The youth's face resembled an alabaster mask. With a cool "Hn," he shut his eyes, indicating he was in no mood for talking anymore.

* * *

In the next few days Naruto appeared to have finally found himself the business of a lifetime: making Uchiha's life miserable. Something told him it had been screwed up on the bigger scale long before him; but it didn't stop Naruto from poisoning every single minute they had to spend together, and awake. He would chatter unstoppably and provoke silly clashes over provisions and camping places; he would wake Sasuke up in the middle of his own watch just because he was bored; and many other things, no less irritating.

Sasuke's patience was, to say the least, boundless. Most of the time he simply ignored him. It made Naruto curious: Would he have ignored the other Naruto the same way?

Their most comic brawl took place on a small bridge across a shallow stream. Naruto wouldn't let Sasuke cross it, not even leap over the stream. To annoy the hell out of the obnoxious jerk, now or never – that was his slogan for the day. He had nearly succeeded: the clash ended with Sasuke knocking him off balance and letting him fall into the stream.

"I win," Naruto smiled crookedly, running his fingers through his wet, wiry hair.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. A smile so small it could easily be overlooked played upon his lips. Naruto grinned triumphantly. He could bet Uchiha hadn't smiled in a very long time.

"Got that smile out of you, didn't I?" he winked at him and continued on his way, light-hearted.

"You're even more of a moron than he is," he heard Sasuke mutter.

Their detour brought them eventually to the imposing ruins of an ancient city. The buildings stood tall and proud in their solemn decay, their knocked out black windows seemingly winking at the travelers. An old signboard over the gate said, 'Abandoned'.

"What is this place?" Naruto breathed in excitement.

They strode through the winding halls where the ceilings were covered in pipes and the faint belching of steam was heard. Could the machines in this place, if there were any, still be operational? The air was dry and stuffy and smelt strongly of fur. Naruto wrinkled his nose.

"It used to be my clan's storehouse," Sasuke replied. "The locals still remember and respect us… as much as they could respect any outsiders."

The next minute Naruto understood what that was supposed to mean. The city was overrun with cats. Big, small, regular and extraordinary, the mewling furballs were _everywhere_. A few of them ran up to Sasuke and rubbed their curved backs against his shins. He disregarded them and went on calmly. The cats turned their heads towards Naruto and spat at him. Taking that as a personal challenge, Naruto performed the Henge seals, and a moment later a huge fox was snarling back at them. Sasuke glanced back at the scene briefly; the expression of martyrdom on his face bled back into the impassive mask, and he vanished around the corner.

"It was just a Henge," Naruto informed him upon catching up, safely back into his human form. "I mean, it wasn't real. I need to do a jutsu to, you know, release the–."

"I don't care," Sasuke cut him off. "We're here."

Naruto held his breath. They entered a spacious room decorated vastly with cat motifs. Just why there had to be so many cats Naruto understood a moment later when his fleeting gaze lingered upon the wizened visage of a large catlike old lady who was smoking a pipe impassively, surrounded by heaps of playful kittens. Soft mewling filled the room.

Sasuke knelt courteously before her. Having remembered his practically non-existent manners, Naruto followed his lead. The trick was not to blurt out anything stupid like he always did when it came to ceremonial visits. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek.

"Forgive me, Elder Cat," Sasuke said humbly, "but I am compelled to beg for your assistance once more."

A pause followed during which the woman continued smoking, unperturbed. Then she said:

"The list of the Uchiha clan's debts has grown large. Who do you think will repay them if you die?" Unexpectedly, her gaze darted in Naruto's direction. "You have brought an evil spirit with you. I did not say anything when you were obsessed with your battle against Itachi, but the path you have taken now is far too slippery. Do you intend to walk it to the end?"

"I have no choice, Elder Cat," Sasuke whispered.

She huffed indignantly. Naruto cocked his head and suddenly blurted out something that could certainly be categorized as 'stupid':

"I'll repay his debts then." Both Sasuke and the patroness stared at him in something of surprise. Naruto added insecurely: "That is, if he dies. Which he probably will."

The woman smirked. She smirked again and finally burst out laughing. Naruto eyed her like she had gone mental all of a sudden.

"You are an odd kind of a spirit, boy," she said almost affectionately and looked back at Sasuke. "He's not from around here, is he? All right, I shall help you. But you must leave then and know that you are not welcome here again."

Sasuke nodded curtly. The Elder Cat rose wordlessly and beckoned him to follow her.

In a few hours' time, when Naruto had already made friends with the majority of cats in the room, the old lady returned. Sasuke trailed behind her. Naruto couldn't help but notice that his cheeks were stained with blood, yet his eyes looked livelier and healthier than ever.

"By the way," the old lady said with a touch of irony in her cracked voice, "Itachi was here."

Naruto paused the game he was playing with the kittens and pricked up his ears. Now that he knew something about Sasuke's brother that nobody else did, it seemed like an even more curious subject.

"When was it?" Sasuke asked rather neutrally.

"A while back. The shark-man was with him. They did not stay long."

"What kind of service did he ask for?"

The Elder Cat's plump lips curved. "He did not ask for anything. He merely returned what had been lost."

Her gaze drifted towards the kittens. Naruto had never seen anyone looking upon some wretched little animals with such warmth.

He took his time to scrutinize Sasuke's face in turn. His compressed lips were trembling slightly against each other, as if living the life of their own. Hectic spots of red burned in his cheeks. Naruto recalled once again the terrible truth he had learnt about the tragedy of Sasuke's past. Now, but a mention of it made his heart flutter.

He clenched his teeth and forbade himself to dwell on it. His loyalties, after all, still lay with the village.

* * *

They set out of the abandoned city roughly an hour before daybreak. The sky was painted in bleak, dusty grey the kind of which can only be seen as a prelude to the riot of colour that explodes once the sun begins its ascent. They headed straight for the Leaf. For all Naruto knew, the Akatsuki might have already struck again; in that case it made little sense to squander any more time.

Naruto plucked up his resolve and asked him about his eyes at last. Not that he was concerned, mind you! Curiosity – that was a solid enough reason to bombard his companion with questions.

"Has it happened before?" he pried. "Like, with the other Kyuubi."

"The Mangekyou Sharingan was meant to control the Kyuubi," Sasuke answered. "No, it's never happened before."

Naruto pondered that piece of information.

"So those were your people then?" he wondered uncertainly. "The ones that defeated him?"

A look of surprise came briefly up on Sasuke's face. He cocked his head, as though giving the possibility a try.

"The Fourth Hokage sealed it," he said then. "My people had nothing to do with it."

'Sealed it'… Naruto disliked intensely the way it had been said. Come to think of it, since when were humans and demons compatible? The fact that the local Naruto survived it all was…

"Hang on!" A thought suddenly flashed in his mind. No way! He must have misheard. "You said, the Fourth Hokage sealed him. Did he do it all by himself?"

Sasuke frowned. "Well… Actually the entire village fought the Kyuubi, but yeah, the Yondaime sealed it alone."

"One person!?" Naruto exclaimed. "Not nine? _One_ person!? Argh! Must have been some wrong kind of Kyuubi! _One person_…"

He compressed his lips and resolved not to discuss this embarrassing subject anymore. Fortunately, it wasn't the local Kyuubi he was related to.

Speaking of sealing, he had always hated the sound of this word. Imprisoning, that was more like the truth. He had asked the Chief once if the Nine had killed the Demon Fox. The Chief had shaken his head and given no straightforward answer; yet later that day he had taken young Naruto to a deep well in the heart of the mountain. The well was bricked up, an old crest hollowed out in the lid gleaming softly in the darkness.

"I buried him," the Chief had said. If Naruto hadn't known him, he would have thought those were tears running down the man's wrinkled cheeks. "Right here. Sealed him away. He's as good as dead."

Naruto hadn't dared approach the well, though a burning desire to press his ear against the cold stone and listen to the silence bottling up inside it had gnawed at him many times since.

Perhaps being stuck inside a person was more comfortable…

Naruto drove those silly thoughts away. Stupid Sasuke, making him think back on his stupid past! Naruto should have just ditched him when he'd had a chance. Come to think of it, why couldn't he do it now? That attempt of blackmail wasn't so brilliant after all. He had lived in Konoha for a week, and no one had noticed anything suspicious about him. Even if Sasuke told them the truth, why should they believe a traitor and a deserter instead of him, the ninja they all liked and trusted?

Naruto opened his mouth to tell Uchiha all that, but didn't get past: "You know, bastard…" He sniffled uneasily. A strange smell was coming from elsewhere.

"We are being followed," Naruto whispered. "And not by those Cloud types, it seems."

Sasuke frowned. His inquiring look slid over Naruto's face. The youth shrugged apologetically (what fun would it be to lay all his cards on the table at once?).

There was movement quite near them. Naruto reached for his weapon pouch and fished a pair of kunai out of it. Not exactly his weapon of choice, but the fox couldn't go on a rampage without first verifying who the pursuers were.

For a few endless moments everything was quiet.

Rustling of grass beneath someone's feet. They weren't hiding anymore.

Naruto's hand shot forth, only to be stopped by Sasuke. He looked relaxed.

"What took you so long?" he asked calmly.


	7. The Sunny Side of the Street

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU![Sasuke/Naruto; mild Naruto/Sakura] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _The Wasteland_ by T.S. Eliot.

**A/N**: First of all: I am SO sorry! Life's been a mess, the manga itself is even more of a mess… Technically, I'm on a fanfic hiatus at the moment. This chapter is so long and fast-paced that I hope it makes up for my long absence slightly. And as always, thank you for all your lovely reviews, guys! You're the best!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_**The Sunny Side of the Street**_

_Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not  
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither  
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,  
Looking into the heart of light, the silence._

_**The City**_

A few days before the infamous hunt Naruto had attempted to mount the weird transport that stood, dejected, in the lodging downstairs. His main objective had been to impress Sakura but he hadn't gone as far as showing off before her because he had fallen off, and the motorcycle had crashed into the wall of an abandoned building at the end of the street. That was harder than holding on atop Gamabunta's back.

Naruto recollected his misfortunate adventure now, lying in bed at home and feeling as if he had been run over by a truck. Twice. No, three times. Or, by Chouji doing his Meat Tank jutsu – which was hardly any better. First the hostile transport, then the crazy rotting demon. He had been lucky far too many times this week.

Irregular images swirled like shades of different colours in his mind. He could swear he had seen Granny Tsunade. Was she the one who treated him? Did Sasuke know her? Was she in this hunting business too? So many questions… And it didn't seem like any of them would be answered any time soon.

Persistent pounding on the door snapped his attention back to the present. Grumbling, Naruto clambered out of the nest woven from the blanket. He swung the door open and the first thing he noticed was a delivery packet from Ichiraku Ramen. The one to push it in his direction was none other than Sasuke.

"Figured you might be hungry," he said, teeth clenched as though by this act he was committing a high treason. His head was turned so that Naruto couldn't read his face.

Naruto beamed and snatched the packet, inhaling the warm fragrance that curled off the meal. It was his favourite sort, too.

"Thanks!" he squealed happily. Indeed, now that Sasuke had mentioned it, his stomach began making noises, full of suffering. "You, uh… Come in if you like!"

He left the door open deliberately and smiled to himself when he heard the soft sound of footsteps. The door slid shut. Naruto placed the ramen on the table and turned to look at Sasuke. The youth looked as morose as ever.

"Thanks for…" Naruto began. Sasuke cut him off grimly.

"Don't mention it. You saved my life, I paid you back, we're square."

Naruto grinned. "Deal."

Sasuke threw up his head. A strange look flashed in his deep black eyes. A moment later his fist connected with Naruto's jaw. Naruto yelped, unprepared.

"And here comes the question," Sasuke drew out. "_Why_ did you save me?"

"What, should I have left you to die? What else was I supposed to do!" Sasuke stared at him intently. Naruto cursed softly and said: "You're my friend, that's why."

"I don't make friends with hypocrites."

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Why do you go around telling everyone you're the Kyuubi kit when you're just a regular human?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto's hand drew a slanting line through the air. All the pieces of the puzzle were falling into their respective places. He could not be happier about it. Finally there was something Sasuke seemed to _want_ to discuss.

"See?" Naruto breathed. "I told you I wasn't a demon! You just kind of assumed it, out of the thin air. Who told you, by the way? Tsunade-hag?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Oh right, you know Tsunade. Well, news bulletin: she doesn't know you! Just what is it that you want, Naruto? Passing yourself off for a demon, that's sick. You remind me of those rich brats that are nothing on their own and just keep bragging about their parentage to make something of their worthless existence! I've known you for three years, and all this time you've been like, my father this, my father that, my father is this huge-ass Demon Fox from Mount Oinari. And then suddenly–."

"What!?"

The word fell heavily between them. Naruto took a sharp intake of breath. The Kyuubi… his father? No wonder everyone hated him! He remembered the villagers avoiding him, identifying him as something evil; remembered the vile Mizuki-sensei's words: 'You saw those eyes… the eyes of a real demon!' In his case the accusations had stung because he had known them to be false. How must the local Naruto have felt then, having had to grow up with the people who… who had _killed_ his father?

"Sasuke, I…" Naruto faltered. "I… don't…"

"You really don't know anything?" Sasuke interrupted. From the look on his face it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking about.

He shook his head, as though accepting the absurdity of the situation, and made for the door.

"I just want to be your friend," Naruto said. It came out a lot more pathetic than he would have desired. "I want to help you."

"You're the one who needs help," Sasuke parried mercilessly.

He was halfway out of the flat when Naruto grasped him by the wrist. Uchiha's skin felt cool and strangely soft. The exit wound on the hand that had been pierced by his own knife was covered with the patch of a medical plaster.

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows, looking down on Naruto's grip like he was about to break his arm.

"Please, Sasuke," Naruto breathed desperately. "There are some things I can't explain to you right now, but… I… I made a promise to, uh… It's not…"

'Arrgh! Now he thinks I'm a royal nutjob!'

Sasuke's steady searching gaze darted up. Misunderstanding was written across his face. 'He doesn't know me,' Naruto thought in dismay. 'Doesn't even want to know me. That one pushed me away because he knew me; this one – because he doesn't…'

The door creaked quietly. Sasuke walked out, the steps of the old staircase moaning discordantly beneath his boots as he dashed downstairs. Naruto looked down on his empty hand that had been clutching Sasuke's wrist just a moment before.

'Will things _ever_ change between us?'

* * *

Sakura dipped her finger into a bowl full of some dark-pink creamy mass and surveyed it critically. Taking advantage of her pensiveness, Naruto jumped up and licked the whipped cream off the tip of her finger. It tasted like cherry, bittersweet, a little binding – and extremely delicious.

Sakura pushed him away and threatened to break his ribs should he try something like this again. The pleasant flush that covered her cheeks really conflicted with her words, though. Naruto grinned self-confidently.

It was the Fireworks Night, and while Naruto still hadn't gained the complete understanding of what kind of a holiday it was, he enjoyed the idea of spending an evening with Sakura-chan, gazing at the sparkling sky. She had been fussing around him all day; it took long enough to convince her he was all right. Then she had pulled him into a bone-crushing hug (apparently her natural physical strength of a half-demon made up for the lack of training quite well). After he had finally convinced her, she set to prepare some delicious treat for the night and that was exactly what she had been doing for the past couple of hours, constantly complaining that Naruto's kitchen was designed for anything but cooking.

She was done an hour before midnight. Naruto's mouth watered at the sight of all the gorgeous pastries that sat now atop his kitchen table, teasing him unbearably with their splendid appearance. He attempted to whine Sakura into letting him eat them now. She stuck her tongue at him playfully and led him away from the table. They lounged leisurely on the bed, television humming in the background, and talked, much like they usually did. Naruto had never imagined it would be so easy to talk to her.

Somewhere along the way 'love' became the subject of their conversation. Naruto had never considered having any specific views on it. His lovelife had been non-existent apart from a number of failed attempts to ask Sakura-chan out on a date.

He lay in the gentle semidarkness, his arm around Sakura's waist, and listened to her incoherent discourse, a half-cynical analysis of her own dreams, and wondered if the Sakura he knew would be saying the same things. As little as he knew about love, he did know quite a lot about wounds of the heart. Back in his world, Sasuke had hurt her a lot. He wondered if she had recovered from it at all.

"But love doesn't always have to be a bad thing," Sakura said. "Sometimes it sort of wakes you up, you know. Shows you the world in a new light. Like the story of the Sleeping Beauty. It doesn't have to be taken literally, right?"

"Hmm?"

"Didn't you read fairytales when you were a kid?" Sakura giggled.

Naruto shook his head dumbly. Sakura cocked her light-pink eyebrow at him and laughed quietly.

"Okay… Shall I tell you then? See, it starts with the birth of a princess. A lot of stories do, after all. Wondrous gifts were bestowed upon her by good fairies who were present at her christening. However, there was also a wicked witch. Of course, the king and the queen didn't invite her. She was a party crasher." Naruto sniggered. Sakura winked at him and went on: "Out of resenment and her general wickedness the witch placed a curse upon the princess. Upon reaching adulthood the girl was to prick her finger on a spindle and die."

"Wha–?! Who dies from a pricked finger?" Naruto exclaimed. "That's stupid!"

"It's a fairytale!" Sakura chided. "Anyway, she wouldn't die because one of the good fairies, though unable to cancel the curse, made it so that the princess would instead sleep for a hundred years, until awakened by a kiss of true love."

"Er… but wouldn't she look like a skeleton in a hundred years? What kind of a guy would want to kiss a pile of bones?"

Sakura rolled her eyes theatrically. "It was an enchanted sleep. She would look exactly the same! So, the king forbade spinning and all spindles in the kingdom were destroyed. However, sixteen years later, the bored princess was wandering about the castle and found an old woman spinning in the tower. No idea why she was overlooked; some say it was the wicked witch herself, desperate to fulfil her curse. Intrigued by the unfamiliar task, the princess asked to spin and the old woman let her."

"And she got hurt?" Naruto specified. "You sure it was the finger? I mean, she could have cut some artery or something…"

It was still inconceivable to him how someone could die just by pricking their finger. The princess would have never made a kunoichi, that was for sure.

"The good fairy placed a spell upon the castle so that the princess didn't have to wake up alone in the future," Sakura continued, unperturbed by his fun-making. "Everyone fell asleep. A forest of briars grew around the castle so that no one could get in. The story became a legend."

Naruto frowned. That seemed like a foolish thing to do: if the guy who was supposed to kiss the girl was in the castle, he was now unconscious as well. If not, then he wouldn't get in. Unless he was a ninja. Naruto imagined himself braving a forest of briars (one Rasenshuriken might be enough) and fighting monsters (in addition – because without monsters, no story is fun) to rescue… well, someone. A girl, obviously. Who else?

He sighed. In his world girls rarely needed saving (which was probably a good thing) and monsters tended to wear matching black cloaks with red clouds on them and used a variety of freaking awesome jutsu.

Meanwhile, Sakura went on:

"A hundred years later a young prince who had heard the legend decided to seek out the enchanted castle. The briars parted before him–."

Naruto gaped at her. That was so… unfair!

"He didn't even have to fight? What kind of a mission is that!?"

He pouted at Sakura giggling uncontrollably at him.

"The only thing he had to fight was his own heart when he saw the princess. He fell on his knees before her and kissed her. She woke up, and well, they lived happily ever after." Sakura's voice faltered. She couldn't hold back a bitter chuckle. "So what do you think?"

Naruto pondered it for a while. Sakura was looking at him expectantly, leaning closer and closer until her green eyes were the only thing he could see and her lips hovered over his.

"That the guy must have had really smelly breath," Naruto said.

Instead of kissing him, Sakura collapsed on top of him, trembling with laughter. Naruto held her in his arms, hiding his grin in the fragrant waves of her hair. Her story was fun, but he'd be damned if he could imagine a girl consenting to live 'happily ever after' with some dude she had known for like five minutes. Most girls he knew would have castrated a guy for even thinking about it. Including Sakura-chan.

"That's why I said it didn't have to be literal." Sakura poked him in the ribs. "I prefer to think of that kiss as a metaphor. Sometimes the feeling comes like enlightenment. Like you were asleep for a hundred years and then suddenly the right person brings you back to life." Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Well… Will you kiss me?"

Naruto felt a knot in his stomach tighten. He pecked her on the corner of the mouth gently. Brushed his lips across the clawmarks on her cheek. His gaze fell upon the electric alarm-clock on the nightstand. Four minutes to midnight.

They rushed outside and hopped up on the roof. The night was chilly. Naruto rolled out a blanket and sat down, glancing up at Sakura who was shaking lightly, her bare arms covered in gooseflesh.

"I'll go get my jacket," she told him.

Naruto nodded. As soon as she was out of sight, he licked his lips ferally and stuffed one of the cookies decorated with a delicate crown of cherry cream into his mouth.

The first volley unfurled in the jet-black sky like a peculiar flower of shiny speckles. Naruto sprang up on his feet, wondering what was taking Sakura so long. And saw Sasuke. He was standing on his own roof, looking solemnly at the sky as various colours washed over it in glittering waves. Every time a firework went off, light would fall upon his face in gentle strokes.

Naruto waved at him, but received no reply. Predictable. Why did Sasuke always have to be such a prick?

Sakura came up at last. He threw his arm around her, hugging her tightly, and tried to ignore the dark lonesome figure across the road.

* * *

The next morning Naruto stretched sweetly in bed as a new idea dawned upon him. They say third time's a charm. Well, he wasn't depressed enough to give up yet. His first attempt to coerce Sasuke into being his friend had got him landed in jail. The second had nearly cost him life. The third one, by all means, was supposed to be successful.

He glanced at the small tear-off calendar on the nightstand. Monday. Perfect. Mentally, he gave himself a week, then frowned and cut it down to five days. It couldn't be harder than mastering the Rasengan after all.

However, Sasuke had never been an easy opponent. He would slam the door shut in Naruto's face, refusing to let him utter a single word, not even 'hello'. When Naruto attempted to reach him through the balcony, Sasuke pushed him off the handrail and locked the balcony door. He would cause him to nearly get hit by cars whenever Naruto walked with him or to bump into street-torches. He would pretend Naruto was invisible and artfully ignore him, driving Naruto furiously insane.

Itachi dropped by once. They exchanged meaningful glances, full of some uncertain welcome, from afar. Sasuke glared at his brother as if even looking in Naruto's direction was an unforgivable sin, and dragged him into the house.

Naruto seriously considered becoming Itachi's friend and operating through him to get to Sasuke. He was preparing to start his siege (that would also give him a better understanding of Itachi's agenda; he still couldn't bring himself to trust the guy), but Friday came and saw Sasuke leave his place with a light traveling bag. Intrigued, Naruto had no choice but to follow him.

The shadowing brought him to some kind of a station. He had to buy a ticket and board a strange transport of multiple coaches. It moved smoothly and noiselessly unlike the old tinkling thing he had had to take from Mount Oinari to the city. Naruto had no idea where they were going and how long the journey would take. It dawned upon him that he was a loner no more; he had someone who he should have warned about him leaving, but back when he had been standing near the ticket office, the thought about Sakura hadn't even crossed his mind.

Naruto had to pass through several coaches before he finally spotted Sasuke. The youth took a seat near the window and was now looking impassively at the change of scenery outside. Naruto lowered himself on the spare seat a few rows behind him. The coach was half-empty.

Naruto thought that perhaps the strange transport resembled a huge white snake from above. It was very fitting for Sasuke to travel this way. Sleek and fast, it shot through the thickening mist, past the factories on the outskirts of the city and into the rural area. It passed very quickly a long brick house, making it but a smudge of red, and crawled upwards. On the other side was the sea. It was seen only occasionally, far below the rocks.

"Blockhead," Sasuke sighed wearily. "Haven't you figured out by now that it's useless? I know you're here."

Naruto grinned and came up to his row.

"How long have you known?"

"Since the station."

"And you didn't tell me to piss off?"

Sasuke snorted. "As if you'd listen." With that, he turned back to the window, indicating their conversation was over. Naruto flopped on the seat next to him.

"The road takes a little less than five hours," Sasuke remembered. "If I hear but a word from you during this time, I'll throw you out of the train."

Naruto gave an abrupt nod. Sasuke shut his eyes. Five hours in one place – moreover, a sealed, moving place – was a little too much for Naruto, but he didn't fancy fighting Sasuke here. He'd have a chance to kick his ass later, when they were friends.

"By the way," he wanted to know, " where are we going?"

A fibre on Sasuke's vein pulsed intensely. If he knew about the Chidori or the Katon or the Sharingan, he would have felt the need for them now, doubtless.

* * *

Naruto had already been half-asleep by the time the train stopped. Sasuke pushed him towards the exit persistently. He blinked the drowsiness away and took a look around. It was dark and quiet under the pelting rain apart from the noises the drops were making as they performed their pointed bombing of the shabby palm-trees. Treacherous streams of icy water strove to get under their clothes.

"Autumn here," Sasuke murmured, "always sucks."

He gave Naruto no chance to question him. He seized his elbow and dragged him further into the cold, wet night. They ran along the washed away road. Mud made sharp champing sounds beneath their feet. The corners of Naruto's lips twitched: he hadn't run in a while, and this was a little like taking a mission in foul weather.

Nostalgic.

Thunder rolled over the sky, an echo of a giant rattle. Lightning rippled across the jet-black canvas. In its pale-golden light Naruto spotted a small figure passing them by on the road. It was a child with an old umbrella of faded red colour. He carried a slightly dampened paper lantern. Naruto wondered what the hell a kid could be doing alone out in such a storm, and craned out his neck to take a peek at his face. The dome of the umbrella concealed it completely.

"Don't look at it," Sasuke said, tone heavy with warning.

From the distance he had already put between them, the child resembled a two-legged walking umbrella. He walked in a slightly springy gait, splashes jetting from beneath his sandals.

"Why? It's just a kid."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin and made him look away. "It's the Rain Spirit. While it's harmless by nature, it's not a very good idea to outright stare at spirits. I won't be helping you should anything happen, take that into consideration."

They broke into their jarred gallop again and soon came to another station. Its dim lights were barely visible through the curtain of rain. A solitary bus would honk from time to time, and a small chain of passengers stretched from the station exit towards the bus door. Two youngsters sat on their huge suitcase under the lean-to, looking sombrely at the falling rain. A man was smoking by the phone booth.

Naruto eyed the bus warily. He didn't trust those half-rotten pieces of junk even on a clean road. To ride it through the rainy night seemed to him like the most unreasonable thing to do.

'It'd be a total bummer if after fighting the Akatsuki, Sasuke, Orochimaru and so on I died like this,' he thought moodily.

His spirits remained low as they took their seats in the bus and it hopped over the potholes in the slippery road away from the station.

"Are we there yet?" Naruto asked every five minutes, and after a few listless _No's_ Sasuke simply threw his hand up and shut Naruto's mouth, giving him an eloquent look of sheer enragement.

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He knew this voice, the intonation, the look on his face. Three years ago it would sum up their relationship perfectly.

Sasuke lowered his hand and turned to the window, looking deliberately past the blurry reflection of Naruto's wide, surprise-filled eyes in the wet glass.

* * *

The journey was over in a little over than an hour. Naruto practically tossed himself out of the bus, having gained a very clear persepective on what sea sickness was. Sasuke scoffed at his greenish face.

The rain stopped. They walked past a warped wooden signboard that said: 'Welcome to …giri' (Naruto couldn't read the full name of the place because of a huge smudge of old paint right over it) and ended up at the beginning of a long street, straight as an arrow, that receded as far as the eye could see. Simple, traditional houses lined both sides of the street. It was a village. As the realization came, Naruto smiled warmly. He thought he was a small town kind of a guy, after all.

Sasuke entered a small, cozy café, the only place that seemed to be open so late at night. The doorbell chimed gently. It felt good to relax somewhere warm and quiet. Naruto rubbed his frozen ears.

"How may I help you?" a mellow voice asked.

Its owner, a petite lady with grey-streaked hair done in a traditional style, was eyeing the two from behind the counter. Her hairdo looked bigger than her head; every time she cocked it, the bells attached to a pair of sticks that held the hair in place would jingle.

Sasuke leaned against the counter, his eyes focused on the woman's face.

"I don't know, Torinoko-san. My friend and I are pretty hungry. Is there any chance you still have that smashing rhubarb pie of yours?"

The woman stared at him, and gradually an expression of recognition came upon her face. She clapped her plump hands and ran around the counter, breathing exultantly:

"Oh, my! Do my old eyes deceive me? Sasuke-chan!"

Naruto snickered. Now that was unexpected. The lady jumped up and threw her arms around Sasuke's neck. The youth bent to make it easier for her. She pulled away and scrutinized him with a joyful smile.

"My goodness, you've grown! And so handsome, too. If only I'd been a hundred years younger!"

"You'll always be pretty, Torinoko-san," Sasuke replied politely.

Naruto swallowed another snicker, wondering if he could somehow blackmail Sasuke later by what he'd seen. The old lady was looking at him curiously. He smiled at her as Sasuke introduced him with the first name only. It was actually a big step from 'The Moron That Lives Over There', and Naruto mentally congratulated himself with the progress.

The old lady vanished into the kitchen, babbling amicably something about age taking over and not wanting to wake up her young assistant, and promised to find them something to eat as soon as possible.

"So what are we doing here?" Naruto asked as soon as she was out of hall.

"It's a small guest call," Sasuke said, rolling a saltcellar over the table absentmindedly. "Nothing important."

"A job then? A demon?"

"They say there's some 'evil presence' haunting one of the old houses. Better check."

Naruto arched his eyebrows. He doubted some abstract 'evil presence' was really worth a six-hours' trip. Also, didn't Sasuke say he worked only for money? Naruto wondered who the hell would be paying here. Before he had a chance to ask, Torinoko-san returned, carrying two plates. It was most welcome. After the first bite Naruto was ready to perform serenades under her balcony (that is, if he didn't feel he would be cheating on Ichiraku by doing so).

"Do you have a place to stay?" Torinoko-san asked, watching them eat.

Sasuke nodded slowly. "I was thinking about the house." Torinoko-san's face darkened. Sasuke added hastily: "It's nothing really, we won't stay long."

After a moment of sombre silence the conversation took a lighter turn. The old lady expressed interest in the city and how Itachi was doing and was pleased to know he was doing great. Naruto allowed his attention to drift aside from their talk. Delicious treat and homey atmosphere made him feel more like himself again.

He didn't object to going outside so much when they finally wished the café enchantress good night. The lights went out behind their backs. They made it down the street and headed to the sea; its strong scent became dominant as they came down an old stone staircase where grass shot through the cracks.

An imposing old house sat in the fern thicket by the sea. A narrow winding path led to the beach straight from the porch – and then, as far as the eye could see, there lay boundless planes of sand and water.

"It's beautiful," Naruto breathed. "Is that the one that's haunted?"

"No," Sasuke answered, fumbling with the front door. "It's where we're gonna stay."

"Who does it belong to?"

The door gave in. Sasuke walked into the dusty room, looking around with narrowed eyes.

"Me. I used to live here the first seven years of my life. You know, before… _that_."

Naruto's blood ran cold. So this was the local Uchiha Massacre scene… The house suddenly seemed far less hospitable.

He wandered hesitantly into the pulsing darkness. He had never been to the Uchiha Compound back in the Leaf. The place looked different, but it was still the heart of the tragedy that had placed Sasuke so far apart from other people. Naruto walked from room to room, old floorboards creaking gently beneath his feet. Dust swathed everywhere. From the corner of his eye he saw Sasuke leaning against the wall, his forehead pressed to it. His fingers brushed it tentatively, as though trying the texture. The wood was cold.

Naruto turned away and ventured deeper into the house, choosing to leave Sasuke to his memories. It was already nice enough of Sasuke to let him come.

* * *

Try as he might, Naruto couldn't fall asleep in this house. He would usually go out like a light if he was tired enough, but something about this place kept his eyes painfully open. He gave up in the end and resumed his wandering. It was about five in the morning on the clock. Naruto grimaced.

He walked out on the terrace overlooking the sea. Sasuke was already there, half-lying on the worn out tatami. He grunted indefinitely at Naruto's greeting. Naruto lowered himself next to him and pulled his knees up to his chin. It felt as if they were stuck on the frontier, dark, sinister past behind them and unknown future, boundless like a sea, ahead of them.

Sasuke moved a small thermos closer to his companion.

"Spicy tea," he explained. "Special blend."

Naruto took a swig. Gentle, soothing warmth flowed in his veins.

"How about you tell me now?" Sasuke said quietly, never looking away from the ocean. Naruto wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "Why did you accuse Itachi of killing my parents? I remember you were going to explain it to me."

Naruto chewed thoughtfully on his lip. Easier said than done.

"I know I'm risking to piss you off again, but I have to know: was it really someone else?"

"He was _thirteen_," Sasuke cut him off.

In Naruto's opinion, that wasn't a solid enough argument, but it might have made sense: thirteen-year-old non-ninjafolk probably wouldn't succeed in taking out at least two adults.

"Why would anyone do it?" Naruto asked before he could stop himself. It earned him a glare. He sighed and rose to leave, but the sound of Sasuke's voice, detached and very tired, stopped him.

"My father was a cop. And a good one, too. Everyone loved and respected him. He was the city's finest. My mother was one too. They fell in love, got married, everything went perfect for both of them. But a day before his promotion he suddenly retired. So did Mom. They moved here. The villagers offered Dad the post of a local sheriff. He took it. Mom, who had already been pregnant by then, remained a housewife.

"All in all, my childhood was a happy one. Father was a proud and strict man, but he loved us dearly. He wasn't terribly good at showing it, but I always had brother to watch over me anyway. Then, one summer day nine years ago everything changed."

_Sasuke's eyes grow darker, clouded with shadows of memories that are too distant to talk about.__ Yet he can't restrain himself. He needs somebody to hear him out, even if it's this moron._

_That day comes alive before his eyes as he speaks. The shady outlines of pine-trees up in the mountains, the rustling of fern covered in dew near the porch. He skips a few steps on the way up to the street, his heart beating wildly with joy. It's the last day of school._

_He needs to get back home before supper. Something important should happen tonight; Mom said Dad wanted to make an announcement. Sasuke trembles, anticipating a magnificent surprise._

_The after-school football practice gets rescheduled, and he lingers with the coach and a few teammates to devise a strategy for the next match against their opponents, the obnoxious team from the neighbouring village. The sun has already sat when Sasuke returns home, panting as he comes to an abrupt halt._

"_It's all right, it's all right, I'm home!" he declares from the threshold. "Sorry I got held up! But you left me something to eat, didn't you?"_

_Silence. They must be pretty mad._

_Sasuke blinks in confusion, walks about the place, calls out again; this time he wavers. The house is quiet as a graveyard.__ The boy's heart beats just as wildly as it did in the morning; only this time there are no happy feelings._

"_Mom?" he whimpres plaintively. "Dad? _Nii-san_?"_

_This is _not_ funny._

_He stands petrified in front of the heavy doors. Behind them, there lies the living room. There is a movement to his right, and Sasuke throws his head up hopefully, only to see a pair of yellow saucer-like eyes staring back at him._

_Just a cat._

_It jumps aside. Sasuke's bewildered gaze slides across a dark stain on the floor.__ Fear wells up inside him._

"_Move," he whispers breathlessly, his feet seemingly stuck to the floor. "Just move!"_

_His fingers clutch at the doorknobs, and he manages to open the doors. Chilly darkness welcomes him inside.__ His breath comes out in noisy, ragged gasps._

_Two bodies lie on the floor – like damaged dolls. Tears prickle in Sasuke's eyes. __A scream builds up but won't come out. It spills out only when someone jumps at him and pushes him outside, blocking the horrible scene. A hand covers the boy's mouth persistently._

"_Shh, Sasuke! It's me. Don't look there. Sasuke, look at me. I'm here, look at me!"_

_Shocked, Sasuke is unable to look away from his brother's face.__ Itachi lowers his hand slowly._

"_You won't scream, will you? Good boy. Now I want you to come with me. Hurry."_

_They run.__ Sasuke trips; thorns of burdock graze his knee. Itachi sweeps him up on his feet, and they run again until they reach an imperceptible shelter of branches they had built about a month ago. It's hidden well in the woods and the ground is laid out with leaves – it's impossible for someone to come up unnoticed._

"_Stay here," Itachi urges him. Sasuke shakes his head in horror and grabs brother by the hand. "I'll be back, I promise. Right now, please, stay here and be as quiet as you can."_

_Sasuke obeys reluctantly. He is scared and suddenly very cold. He doesn't know how long it takes Itachi to come back. When he does, Sasuke is half-__asleep. Itachi's shirt is stained with the same dark spots that were there on the floor. The boy sobs uncontrollably._

_Later the memories are all jumbled up.__ He flings himself on the ground and cries so hard that he almost feels sick and then passes out, emaciated. He comes to in a police car parked near the stairs that leads to the Uchiha household. It is daybreak; the weather is grey and nasty. Wrapped up in a blanket, Sasuke opens the door and sticks his head outside. A few policemen, some villagers, the doctor – all of them bustle about the area. Itachi is talking to father's deputy, Yoshikawa-san. _

"_I understand he was still in the house when Sasuke-kun returned, is that correct?" the deputy asks._

"_Yes. I took Sasuke to safety and came back, but he was already gone. I'm sorry, but that's all the help I can provide."_

_Yoshikawa touches Itachi's shoulder lightly. His hand seems unnaturally large._

"_That's quite enough, son. How are you holding?"_

_Neither Itachi's expression, nor his tone change. "I'm more concerned about Sasuke."_

_Yoshikawa looks up and catches Sasuke watching. The boy dives back into the safety of the car. A few minutes later Itachi fishes him out and holds him in his arms._

"_Let's go. We'll stay with Torinoko-san for now."_

_A week later things become even more bizarre. People whisper about them but fall deadly quiet each time__ one of them walks by. Sasuke doesn't speak. The decisive match against the other village goes without him. He finds with some form of curiosity that he doesn't give a damn._

_He follows Itachi back to the house but refuses to go inside. The same sticky fear that haunts him every night suddenly attacks in broad daylight. He waits outside until brother emerges with two bags and squats in front of him._

"_What do you say if we leave this place and go somewhere else?"_

_Trying his best to concentrate on Itachi's warm smile instead of the dark house behind him, Sasuke nods._

_And they move. First__ to a small town on the other side of the mountain ridge, then to another small town and finally to the city. Itachi who has always been a prodigy enrolls in a police academy. Father would have wanted this._

_Sasuke honestly believes himself to be nothing special. He doesn't know what lies in his future, but he would probably walk Itachi's path. It's not like he even wants to be able to make a choice anymore. His life takes a whole new turn when he is ten. A strange man approaches him in the street and claims to have seen power in him. He promises to teach him how to use it–._

"Orochimaru," Naruto whispered, startled, under his breath.

"Yes." A small frown marred the smoothness of Sasuke's forehead. "Know him?"

Naruto cringed. "Sort of. So… did you accept–?"

"Not straight away."

_He declines at first. The guy looks like he is a byproduct of some failed magic experiments__. His motives are unclear, and Sasuke doesn't exactly trust people easily anymore. But Itachi and him grow further apart as brother's achievements become more and more prominent. After they have a falling-out, Sasuke seeks the snakey guy out. He dabbles in dangerous arts for two years, completely cutting himself off from anything but training. Orochimaru changes him in many ways possible, from DNA to personality. Orochimaru himself is not a hunter. Rather, he is a scientist who likes turning others into killing machines. He gets killed by one of his test subjects in the end, leaving a lab full of monsters and a small group of elite demon hunters as his legacy._

"I moved into my current apartment shortly afterwards. It took me some time to reconcile with Itachi; we were both being difficult. He hates what I do."

Naruto sighed. Sasuke would probably want to kill him later for this moment of weakness.

To be completely honest, there was no solid proof that Itachi didn't do it. He was the only one to have seen the supposed 'real' murderer; he had had bloodstains on his clothes and he had come back to the house for some reason. Naruto thought if he should bring it all to Sasuke's attention, but then a thought struck him: Why did Itachi look after Sasuke all these years? Even he couldn't sink so low as to lie to an orphaned child for nine years! Back home he had just thrown Sasuke away. He had broken his life and left him with the desire for vengeance: a morbid fate, but at least it was Sasuke's right.

Itachi wasn't a coward. He would tell Sasuke the truth.

Naruto felt a sudden access of gratitude towards Itachi. He had been keeping Sasuke safe all along. Maybe if he had only done the same back in his world, Sasuke wouldn't have been so...

"I'm going to see the house later," Sasuke interrupted his musings and rose from the floor.

"Awesome! Count me in!"

"I don't know yet if it's a full-blown demon hunt or just a purging ritual, but I'm warning you: if you get under my feet, I'll feed you to whatever 'evil presence' is having such a good time there."

Naruto thought he should perhaps collect all the threats Sasuke directed at him. They could make a nice list.

* * *

Next day, at sunset, there was a wedding in the village. Making their way through a crowded street, they came across a celebration. Naruto had never seen a wedding before.

It looked like the entire village was there, taking vague dancing steps to the purling rhythm of music produced by a woman beating a pair of drums monotonously. The bride, clad in a a ceremonial _uchikake_ embroidered with a pattern of gilded cranes, their wings spread magnificently, was standing in the centre of the never stopping circle, slim and gentle like a young tree.

"I used to love these when I was a kid," Sasuke murmured. "I'd always join." His eyes sparkled with sudden mischief. "What matters is to keep up the appearance."

He took a few steps forward and ended up amidst the dancers. The musician that remained in the shadows shook her head to the rhythm, and her plaited hair poured over her lean shoulders. Her fingers continued flitting over the drums, and her high, clear voice flowed above the crowd.

Sasuke performed the simple pas with the kind of jerky elegance that showed in everything he did. Pairs formed and broke and formed again, now with new partners; flaps of garments shot up at every turnabout. The bride herself resembled a tiger lily floating in a pond overtaken with other flowers. She was very young, perhaps younger than Naruto was, and her crystal eyes radiated naiveté as only the eyes that had never looked upon blood and death could. When she was his partner, Sasuke held her hand like it was a glass jewel.

Naruto watched the scene, dumbstruck. Whether it were the small smiles that chased themselves across Sasuke's lips, or the fact that he was dancing and did it quite well, he couldn't say.

An old man stepped in for the woman. He hit the strings of his koto and began to sing in a low voice that sounded more like mumbling. The guests began a round dance, encircling the newlyweds. Their merriment was highly contagious. A girl in a blue komono held her hand out to Naruto. He took it and joined the dance, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's dark shape.

"My mother always said they should have done it this way," Sasuke told him later when they were walking along the seashore. "My parents got married in the city, so the ceremony was modern." He caught Naruto's warm, surprised gaze directed at him and frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"Nothing. You're just… being a little less of a pain today, that's all."

Sasuke chuckled. Waves rolled heavily against the sandy shore. He inclined his head and stared at them solemnly.

"I never planned to come back here," he said.

'And never planned to drag me along, I bet,' Naruto thought. The other Sasuke would never have shared it with him. Naruto felt a pang of nostalgia.

"Hey," he called hesitantly. "I was thinking… Maybe you want to, uh…"

"What?"

Naruto cursed his sudden indecision. "Spar." Sasuke gave him a blank stare. "Well, you know… Training. Friendly fight."

"I know what sparring means," Sasuke interrupted. "Come to think of it, you did show a few cool tricks against that gaki. Yeah, I think I accept. Show me what you're made of."

Naruto chuckled. Without his jutsu and his Sharingan, what chance could Sasuke possibly have against him? 'It's gonna be priceless!'

He charged at Sasuke who leapt up and ended up behind him in a flash, moving as fast as his counterpart would. Naruto whirled in place, fingers entwining in a series of seals. Sasuke's hands shot forth, fishstrings shooting out and winding around Naruto's body, trapping him.

"Is that all you got?" Sasuke jeered.

Naruto stuck his tongue at him – and vanished in a cloud of white smoke. Startled, Sasuke barely had enough time to turn around and dodge the blow the real Naruto was about to deliver. They engaged in a taijutsu fight, and soon their breath was coming out in staccato pants, their bodies heated and excited by the velocity and the strength of each blow. Sasuke, whatever world he belonged to, would always be a perfect opponent.

"Down with rules!" Sasuke declared, a crooked smile playing upon his lips. Naruto could tell he was thoroughly enjoying it. "Hit me with your best shot!"

A kunai flashed in Naruto's hand. A silver knife gleamed in Sasuke's hand. They clashed, metallic scratch grating on their ears pleasantly. They knocked the weapons out of each other's hands simultaneously, diverged and rushed at each other again. Naruto raised his fist to strike; Sasuke mirrored him. They caught each other in a blocking grip and skidded over the wavy shore clumsily. Struggling to overpower each other, they attempted to drive each other's fists backwards – and failed. Right now they seemed to be equal.

"I must admit you're not as bad as I thought," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, you too!" Naruto grinned. "But you haven't seen the lot of it."

He wondered briefly if he should demonstrate the Rasengan to him. How cool would that be: not as a means of deflecting the deadly Chidori, but just to…

Caught in his thoughts, Naruto began losing balance. He careened forth, sand bursting from beneath his toe. Sasuke staggered back, a low growl escaping his throat – and they collapsed on the ground, Naruto on top of him. His mouth ended up clamped over Sasuke's in a rather ungraceful manner, and that would have probably disturbed him – if he hadn't already been disturbed by the déjà vu.

'NOT AGAIN!!!' his mind exploded.

Naruto sprang up and backpedaled frantically.

"What the fuck was that?" Sasuke hissed. He aimed a punch at Naruto's face but narrowly missed, his knuckles simple grazing Naruto's jaw. He wiped his mouth briskly and stared at Naruto like he wanted to burn him alive with that stare.

"A fucking accident, what else do you think it was?" Naruto scowled, but his voice faltered treacherously by the end of the phrase.

Sasuke scorched him with another icy stare and then left. Wordlessly. As simple as that.

'Shit,' Naruto thought listlessly.


	8. Good Till It Goes Bad

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU! + The meeting with old friends arouses mistrust. Sasuke is losing himself to his own dark side, whereas Naruto tries his hardest to blend in.[Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _What the Camper Hears _by Omar Barker.

**A/N**: My sweethearts, I am still alive! (Joy to the world, eh?) And here comes the continuation of the canon-verse adventure. Thank you for all your lovely reviews! You're made of win.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_**Good Till It Goes Bad**_

_I know, despite the terror in that call  
That chills my blood and makes me draw the covers tight,  
The fiendish yell and ghastly, ghostly wail are all  
Some hungry, lonely coyote howling in the night__._

_**In the middle of nowhere**_

Naruto squinted suspiciously, scrutinizing the newcomers. A red-haired woman, the watery guy who had fought Sakura back in Konoha, and a giant with a solemn, detached look. Sasuke's team. That bastard! Could have mentioned it somewhere along the way that he was expecting them.

"There was a disturbance," one of the guys grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "But it's settled."

His hand shot up and rested briefly on the hilt of a large sword covered in bandages that he carried on his back. Naruto vaguely remembered having seen this sword on another Akatsuki member.

"I did promise you shark fin soup, didn't I?" the ninja smirked.

The woman rolled her eyes. "He actually wanted to drag Kisame's body here just to show off."

"The sword makes a good enough proof," Sasuke said. "Now we're going to Konoha."

Momentary surprise reflected on his teammates' faces. The toothy guy grinned uncertainly, trying to compose himself.

"All by ourselves then? It's okay. With the Samehada here, I can take on half of the village alone." His lilac eyes traveled towards Naruto, and the grin became wider. "See you brought a hostage."

Naruto moved forth. Sasuke was prudent enough to hold his arm out before him, blocking his way.

"Naruto is not a hostage," he said in a level voice. "He's an ally. Or rather, we are his allies. We're going to defend Konoha."

They stared at him blankly. After a pause, the woman said in a steely voice:

"That's a joke, right?"

"Gee, Leader-sama, your objectives change way too fast!" the toothy guy agreed. His lips twitched into a smile, but the look on Sasuke's face told him the youth wasn't joking. Come to think of it, he never did. He had no sense of humour whatsoever; of that Naruto was pretty sure.

And yet, Naruto thought, enjoying their gloomy puzzlement, even without a sense of humour Sasuke was fun. Especially when he did weird things like that.

The giant was the first to collect himself. His fleeting gaze passed over Naruto and registered him as the newest addition to the group – and thus, someone to be remotely reckoned with. The red-haired woman pursed her lips but witheld any comments. The water-nin snorted in amusement. For his part, Naruto marked them all as potential backstabbers and decided he couldn't be bothered with them. Sasuke was still a number one potential backstabber on the list.

'What have I got myself into?' he whined mentally as they moved on.

* * *

_It is one of Suigetsu's annoying water breaks__. The Mist ninja is sitting under a branchy tree, Kisame's sword lying at his feet. He can't dig it into the ground like he used to do with Zabuza's Head Cleaver, and it pisses him off. The Samehada is heavier, too, and he won't stop whining about it. Karin can't understand why he wanted it so much._

_She is standing near the road, supposedly keeping watch, but more often than not her studious gaze drifts back to Uzumaki Naruto__ who is trying at the moment to start a conversation with Sasuke. Karin knows Sasuke well enough not to be surprised that he hasn't tried to squash him like an annoying bug yet. Sasuke is just cool enough to ignore him._

_Karin twirls a blade of grass between her fingers and narrows her eyes. Something is not right._

"_What's the matter, Karin?" Suigetsu chortles. "Have you found yourself a new idol? Is Sasuke discarded now? Well, I can get it. Golden hair, blue eyes, those funny marks across his cheeks – the boy's definitely a sweetheart."_

_Be it any other time, Karin would come back at that with something like, 'So this is your type, huh?' or 'Why don't you ask him out if you like him so much?' But she is too engrossed in her musings now and she barely even hears him. Her lack of response puzzles Suigetsu._

"_Everything all right?" he asks, with a note of concern in his voice._

"_This guy," Karin says finally, never looking away from Naru__to. "He's a Jinchuuriki, right? He feels very… unusual."_

_Suigetsu sniggers and nearly spills the swig of water he has just taken._

"_Way to go, girl! Whenever did Sasuke have normal acquaintances? Have you met Orochimaru? Or even us!"_

_A slight frown creases Karin's forehead. She isn't sure how she can explain it to him, what words she should put it into__._

"_Jinchuuriki are supposed to have two types of chakra," she draws out thoughtfully. "The one that's native to the host, and the demonic one. Usually the native one is predominant. The demonic chakra prevails only when the demon is breaking loose. At least that's how it was with that Bull." She falls quiet for an instant and then adds: "This guy has only one chakra. And it's not human."_

_Suigetsu __swallows noisily. Doubtless, he takes a moment to remember the battle in Konoha and how it ended. His conclusions are so obvious that Karin can read them on his face and she can counter them all. A pact with a demon? No. Merging of two entities? No. Everything is way too predictable, way too impossible for what she can see and feel. This person has never had a human chakra; she knows that much. And this might be the reason for Sasuke to change his mind about the village. But why?.._

"_Are you going to warn Sasuke?" Juugo asks. Karin jumps nervously. Did he absolutely have to crouch up so quietly? _

"_Something tells me he might already know," she mutters._

_Things are definitely going downhill from here.

* * *

_

Sasuke's team was boring. Not as boring as the squad leader himself; no one could rival him there. But they did have their (quite annoying) quirks, and Naruto was growing warier of them by the hour. He never particularly liked teamwork; and teamwork with teammates you couldn't really trust was hardly very beneficent.

There were, however, a few things about Hawk that Naruto liked. Suigetsu, the former Mist ninja and the former test subject of Orochimaru's, had a pretty gruesome sense of humour which matched Naruto's demonic nature (except chopping people up; Naruto had had enough of this from Kenshi and all in all, he decided he had no particular liking of the Hidden Mist Village). Suigetsu was also the first one to actually start a conversation with Naruto. He seemed friendly; though he was as deceptively friendly as Juugo, the big guy, was harmless. The woman, Karin, was constantly at daggers drawn with him. They bickered over every single thing and did it quite craftily, and soon Naruto decided it was entertaining to observe them. He decided they would make a nice married couple.

For her part, Karin mostly ignored him except for a few weird glances she had flashed him earlier. She was what you'd call a stuck-up bitch to the bone, but that made it easier for Naruto to deal with her. He didn't exactly want to like her. Not like he liked Sakura, for example. Karin was stubborn, self-confident and cynical; in his world she would probably make a fine demon. Or on the contrary, a demon hunter.

Also, Karin had the hots for Sasuke. It was as certain as the sun rising wherever it usually rose as so many songs went, and Naruto found constant amusement in tracking the glances she would send his way. Poor Karin. Obviously, she didn't stand a chance. The bastard had most likely never been interested in girls at all.

Engrossed in his evaluating thoughts, Naruto barely noticed the strange odour that was following them relentlessly. He sniffled uneasily. Another pursuit! Convinced that there were hardly any more people that Sasuke would have expected to join their party, he stopped and declared:

"There's someone on our trail."

To his surprise, Karin said exactly the same thing. The two surveyed each other suspiciously and blurted out in unison:

"How do _you_ know?"

_Argh_! That woman was annoying! Worst of all, she was most likely no older than Naruto himself, and to take shit from an obnoxious female brat was humiliating.

Suigetsu sniggered. Karin flashed him a scathing look and eyed Sasuke expectantly. Uchiha looked past her, at Naruto.

"Cloud?" The others turned to him. "We were followed by a squad of Kumogakure ninja."

"We saw them. I kicked them off the trail a while ago," Juugo said. Naruto's attention snapped to him temporarily: he spoke so rarely that his voice sounded almost ethereal.

"These new guys," Naruto said slowly, "they don't seem to be following us. I'd say they're _avoiding_ us."

Sasuke nodded thoughfully. The best they could do now was to make sure their paths wouldn't cross. There was one way to ensure that. Team Hawk halted and hid beneath the spreading trees. If they remained motionless, they had a better chance to stay unnoticed. Otherwise, the trace their chakra left in the air was far too intense.

Naruto flung himself on the ground and picked up a small pebble. This was getting too troublesome, all those chases and weird enemies. He tossed the pebble up and caught it several times and finally decided he needed the second one. He found it relatively quickly. It was slightly bigger and not so smooth but it suited his purpose nonetheless. Naruto started juggling, the tip of his tongue peeking between his lips. It was more fun than watching Sasuke's sour expression anyway.

His activities were soon interrupted by Karin. She stood next to him, tapping with her heel anxiously.

"Get up, Dandelion-head," she said gruffly. "Recon."

Naruto grimaced at the nickname but let it slide. The idea of going somewhere with _her_ didn't seem like a good one, but then again, the sooner they dealt with the problem, the better. They separated in the woods and explored the area. The scent of the chakra, barely perceptible even to Naruto's powerful receptors, lingered teasingly somewhere on the periphery.

"There are a lot of them," Naruto told Karin when they met ten minutes later. "More than a three-man cell for sure."

She wrinkled her forehead and said nothing. He trotted after her as she walked back to the group, humming non-committally to himself.

"How long have you known Sasuke?" he asked.

"A couple of years if you count from our first meeting," she replied promptly, without giving it much thought. "You?"

He chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. "Life." That should be the correct answer.

"Sounds like a sentence."

Naruto laughed quietly. With Sasuke, it probably was.

He threw his head up resolutely. Why the hell was he being so passive? He set out to defend Konoha. To do that, he needed to make it back at first. He had to make sure Sasuke and his gang of idiots were indeed allies and could provide all the necessary help regardless of their true motives. So why was he doing nothing about it? Why was he letting a bunch of worthless enemy ninja control their movements?

"I'll go check on them again and see what we can do," he said and leapt into the tree. "Maybe we can drive them away."

"No, Naruto, wait!" Karin hissed. "Get back here, you idiot!"

He vanished behind the thick curtain of the leafage, ignoring her. The last thing he heard was her growl of exasperation.

* * *

_Bushes part, and Sasuke rises to face Karin, only just back from her reco__nnaisance operation. As she relates to him the details, he can't help looking behind her back, searching for him. Just where the hell is he?_

_Karin clears her throat, reminding him of her presence. Sasuke glances at her briefly and gives a curt nod._

"_Naruto?"_

"_Gone," Karin states. "He's a blasted idiot. You should put him on a leash!"_

_Sasuke cocks an eyebrow. That sounds like a really good idea. Soon he'll be thinking how to put it into practice._

_Karin goes on fuming, and somewhere in the middle of her ramblings he turns around abruptly, sensing danger. They're coming. No, they're already here!_

_Karin ducks. Sasuke flings a couple of shuriken to counter their shuriken. They pour on the ground down from the surrounding trees. There are several squads of them. They are all wearing the same sand-coloured Jounin vests and veil-like masks to cover their faces. When a sunbeam glides across one of the forehead protectors, Sasuke frowns and then smirks._

_Hidden Sand._

_It's been a while since he had any dealings with those shinobi._

_This fight should be easy. As soon as they sort it out (who was following who, etc.) they can just part their way as if nothing happened. Things sometimes turn out this way on the road. Suigetsu, on the other hand, may severely complicate things. Sasuke leaps up to him when his sword is at the ready and whispers gravely, "Don't even think about that." If he kills someone just to satisfy his bloodlust, the Sand ninja will never let it slide._

_They fight with taijutsu and the basic ninjutsu, as far from the Jounin level as it can get. It makes Sasuke more cautious of them. Clearly they are big fish. It shows in the way they move, the way they attack and parry, in all the clean-cut blows and swift line changes. Big fish that feels the need to pretend to be something that it's not is twice more dangerous._

_There is on__e that keeps at the rear all the time. Sasuke defines him as a figurehead. He is important; otherwise he wouldn't be holding back. He is either too weak or too strong._

_Sasuke makes a go for him. Taking out the figurehead would result in ending the battle, no doubt about that. The man leaps back, executing a series of hasty movements that somehow doesn't fit well with his perfectly still posture just seconds before. He flings the shuriken, and the flick of his wrist is slow and lazy like he isn't accustomed to it. There is only one reason for a shinobi to be so awkward with projectiles: they are not his specialization. _

_Sasuke dodges and comes at him from the flank. A tired, black-rimmed eye stares at him from the slit in the mask. Sasuke frowns. No way._

_A swirl of sand coils tentatively around his wrist. Damn! He changes the trajectory immediately, skids over the ground, leaps up and pulls the Kusanagi out of its sheath rapidly.__ He sends a current of electricity over the blade and attacks. _

_Way too big a fish. Why here? Why now?_

_A wall of sand rises on his way. The Kusanagi cuts through the impediment__ and hits something else. His arm, with sand slithering over it protectively. _

_Sasuke clenches his teeth._

_They block each other perfectly; neither of them is able to move. Those aquamarine eyes study Sasuke intently, and he knits his eyebrows curiously._

"_Long time no see, Uchiha Sasuke," the opponent says in a level voice, not even slightly breathless._

_His free hand reaches up and pulls the mask aside, revealing the familiar milky-white face. He looks older. The delicate subtlety of his features is brought forth by the imprint of serenity that has been laid upon them. Sasuke hasn't seen him for years, but he has heard about him. The guy made a Kazekage. Good for him._

"_Gaara of the Desert," Uchiha acknowledges him._

_A moment of recognition has passed__; neither of them cares to move. Why should they? The alignment of the forces is: Konoha's missing-nin against Konoha's ally. Interesting; not to say ironic._

_Sasuke is pretty sure they can stay like this forever, two perfect statues, determined and immobile.__ But the silence is broken by Naruto's outcry. The youth shows up on one of the low-hanging branches, looking like he is about to attack._

_Sasuke's breath hitches. He won't recognize Gaara as a friend. He will attack and jeopardize the entire mission, simply because he won't know better._

_Can't let it happen._

_Sasuke surrenders. It is a barely noticeable gesture: an inclination of his head, the __relenting glint in his eyes. The blade of the Kusanagi moves a millimetre – and slips off. The sand charges at him and hits him flat in the chest. It tosses Sasuke aside. He crashes into the tree, causing Naruto to fall off, unprepared. He collapses on the ground near Sasuke, and Uchiha hisses into his ear urgently:_

"_That guy over there is Gaara, the former Jinchuuriki and the ruler of the Sand Village. Your _friend_."_

"_I got it, I got it," Naruto mumbles, realizing his would-be mistake perplexedly._

_He gets up and cracks a nervous smile. The Sand nins are still. The Kazekage stares at him blankly._

"_Looks like there was a little misunderstanding, right?" Naruto smiles. "Hey… Gaara."_

"_Naruto," the Kazekage says in his haunting, husky voice, as if having noticed him for the first time._

_From the corner of his eye, Sasuke glances at his teammates. They are frozen in their stand against the Sand adversaries, indecisive as to whether they are free to move now. All three of them are watching Naruto. The look on Karin's face clearly says, 'We're screwed.'

* * *

_

Gaara of the Desert had no eyebrows.

Naruto found that it irked him. The guy was creepy. Well, there were a lot more creepy things about him like the sand flying around him at his command, and the blood-red hair, and the kanji meaning 'love' on his forehead (like, seriously… _love_!), and those empty light-green eyes. Not to mention, he used to be a demon container.

But no eyebrows irked him more.

He couldn't take his eyes off Gaara as they made camp together, the Sand nins and Team Hawk, and sat down by the flaring fire to discuss the situation. According to Temari, Gaara's elder sister who kept looking at Naruto like he could vanish into the thin air anytime, they were making their way to a far-off rendezvous point for the Kage Summit called by the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village. (Naruto shuddered: that Cloud just wouldn't leave them alone!) To save time, they rejected formalities and traveled light, masquerading for regular shinobi.

'Kage Summit,' Naruto thought. 'Would Tsunade be there too?'

"I think they'd be pretty interested to know you're with Naruto," Temari said to Sasuke.

"Speaking of which," the other sibling, Kankurou, noted, "they'd be even more interested to know Naruto's alive and well. I'll go send a message."

As soon as he left, Sasuke cast a fleeting look at the shadowy spot near the trees where his team was lounging. One of the birds, Juugo's constant companions, took wing and disappeared beyond the tree tops.

All in all, Naruto liked these people. Instincts warned him against getting too close to them – especially Gaara who had been drilling him with a suspicious gaze ever since they met. They were _Naruto_'s friends. He couldn't say how well they were supposed to know him, but probably better than Naruto himself did.

They were to walk together for a few days. Naruto was pretty sure Sasuke and Team Hawk hated the idea; that alone made him agree to the Sand's proposition without giving it a second thought. After all, who the hell wanted to hear Sasuke's opinion at all?

* * *

The morning was bright and clear, without a trace of last night's disturbances in the sky. The Sand and Team Hawk moved stealthily in the close proximity of the road, the ninja in the rear checking it constantly for any sign of suspicious movements. Doing this was easy. The idea of being the other's stand-in bothered him, but not as much as the idea of being exposed as an impostor. After all, Sasuke had figured him out pretty quickly. Of course, no one else here had seen him turn into a nine-tailed fox or anything, but the way Gaara watched him was greatly unsettling.

Naruto decided he could use Sasuke's help to keep his identity secret. During the evening halt he marched up to Sasuke resolutely and gave him his most eloquent look.

"How about a little sparring session?"

Sasuke's eyes grew a tad wider, if only for a moment. Predictably, he said no. Shaking his head irritably, Naruto blocked his way, preventing him from joining the rest of Hawk.

"I do realize you'd rather be doing nothing and looking all broody and mysterious. Seriously, though, no one's asking you, so let's get it over with."

He grabbed Sasuke by the elbow and dragged him towards the clearing he had singled out earlier as a nice training place. Uchiha pulled away and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'don't touch me'. Naruto rolled his eyes. How much more difficult could he get?

One of the Sand nins passed close enough to them. Naruto stood next to Sasuke, resisting the rising urge to produce a kunai and shove it between the bastard's ribs. He smiled reassuringly at the Sand nin, waited for him to vanish amidst the trees and then hissed rapidly to Sasuke:

"Listen here, genius! When I signed up for this little road trip with you and your flunkies, I had no idea _Naruto_'s friends would come along for the ride! Every second we're with them, I risk being exposed and you risk losing your leverage with me. Mannerisms and regular behaviour, I can manage, but what about special circumstances? In case you haven't noticed, our fighting styles aren't exactly the same."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto looked around warily, taking in the peaceful emptiness of the copse, and elaborated:

"In other words, whenever I want to sink my teeth into someone's throat, I do it. Literally. Just fire Kyuubi no Jutsu and there we go. _Chomp, chomp_. As far as I understand, he's a different kind of a fox. You have to teach me."

Sasuke gave a barely visible nod. Naruto released a small breath of relief. Regardless of Sasuke's motivation, he could be a useful coach.

They had fought before, but Naruto had been in a pretty tattered condition and couldn't enjoy it to the fullest. As they checked his taijutsu skills (and found them matching the other Naruto's fairly decently) and went on to ninjutsu, Naruto took his time to enjoy every attack, every counterattack, every fraudulent move. Sasuke was aggressive, but level-headed. He didn't break a sweat throughout the sparring. His mute confidence enraged Naruto and egged him on acting faster, smarter, bolder.

Evading a series of fire jolts, Naruto bent low towards the ground, pressed his palm flat against the rocky surface and struck gently. Coulmns of dirt jetted upwards. Sasuke changed the trajectory of his run and charged at Naruto from above. The dirt shot up, leaving the ground furrowed and covered in holes. Naruto formed a seal to direct the columns towards the opponent. They formed bars around Sasuke who was but a fraction of a second too slow to escape.

Naruto delivered a foxy grin.

Gotcha.

Puffs of white smoke enveloped Sasuke. When it dissipated, Naruto saw a wooden stub with an explosive tag attached to it in the centre of the barred circle. The seal went off. Clods of dirt poured over Naruto. He threw his arms up to cover his face.

As the dirt rain settled down, Naruto rubbed his eyes and glared at his opponent who was standing a few metres away, looking terminally bored.

"Kawarimi no Jutsu," Uchiha said. "Genin-level. The basics." A slight frown creased his forehead. "What's with the earth manipulation? Naruto's chakra is wind."

"Well, I'm sorry! Nobody bothered to enlighten me," Naruto scowled. "What do I do with it?"

Sasuke remained silent for a while. Naruto was about to give him a shake when he looked up at last and dropped one word, "Rasengan."

"Ra… What?"

"It's, well… Looks like a rotating wind sphere. His trademark jutsu."

Naruto pressed up his lips. The description sounded cool.

"Can you teach me?"

Sasuke stared at him with his usual blank expression – and suddenly snickered. "Naruto and I aren't exactly on sharing-battle-secrets terms." In other words, he had no idea how to do it. Naruto sighed. "He learnt it from his sensei," Sasuke added. "Jiraiya."

"But he's dead!"

Sasuke nodded curtly, indicating that it was hardly his problem.

"Let me get this straight," Naruto said. "The only two people who can do this Rasengan thing are: the other Naruto who's temporarily or, what the hell, maybe even permanently unavailable, and the guy who taught him how to do it – and then kicked the bucket! Perfect! Anything else I should know?"

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and was looking at the deformed ground absent-mindedly. "Kage Bunshin?"

"What the–? Can you teach me that?"

Looking at Sasuke now, he felt really stupid. Like he was a pushy schoolboy trying to get his sensei's attention. Naruto cringed. He'd rather die than call Sasuke 'sensei'. Or even 'senpai'. Or anything at all that doesn't have any insult hidden somewhere.

"I could teach you a simple Bunshin no Jutsu," Sasuke said, still hesitant. "Illusory clones. But the Sharingan reads them. If you were to fight against me or Madara, we'd know. Naruto creates solid bodies and each of them has a percentage of his own power. That's an advanced technique."

Naruto glared at him. It enfuriated him how he managed to speak so hypocritically high of his counterpart, yet still managed to bring him down.

Sasuke formed the seals, and a second later an exact copy of him stood beside him. Naruto gaped at the clone, starry-eyed. It reminded him of meeting the other Naruto back in the trial cave, and he thought it might not be such a bad idea to learn how to make copies of himself.

He repeated Sasuke's gestures hastily, but nothing happened. He growled and tried again. And again. And again.

"Dead last," he heard Sasuke mutter.

"You shut up! You are the last person I'd learn from if I had a choice."

Half an hour later he issued a triumphant call, pointing at the ground. Sasuke who was half-asleep by the fallen trees at the meantime cocked his head and surveyed the nearly dead body lying at Naruto's feet.

"That looks familiar."

His voice sounded emotionless as usual, but his eyes gleamed with derision. Naruto snarled at his remark and continued with his attempts. Oh, he'd show this smug ass the true power of spirit! He'd learn to make these stupid clones! Lots and lots of them to make Sasuke sick of yellow and orange. And then he'd advance them to that other, solid bodies level! All by himself!

Naruto couldn't say how much time had passed when Sasuke finally separated from the trees and started walking back towards the camp. He called him by name quietly. Naruto ignored it. His body was pulsing with a spectre of new sensations, exhausted, but he continued to channel his chakra, and that single nearly dead clone was only half-dead now. Big progress.

"We need to speed up tomorrow," Sasuke said. "You have to rest."

"I'll catch some sleep later," Naruto waved him off. "You be off now."

"Naruto–."

The youth turned to face him, his eyes blazing with fierce determination.

"Haven't you figured it out by now? It's pointless to try and get me to change my mind. I might not be the Naruto you know, but my name's still Uzumaki Naruto, and that translates as 'never give up'!" He clenched his fist and shook it in the air. "If I say I'll do it, I'll do it. That is my way."

He turned his back on the startled Sasuke and concentrated in his work. A few moments later he heard Sasuke leave.

* * *

_His face __looks almost feral. His eyes sparkle feverishly, and his teeth are bared and clenched stubbornly, and the whisker-marks are thick and bright against his skin._

"_If I say I'll do it, I'll do it," he exclaims with passion. "That is my way."_

_Sasuke has already seen these eyes and this face. __He has once seen Naruto stick a kunai into his hand and let the poisoned blood flow until there was a possibility of him dying from blood loss._

'The mission continues!'

'I will protect you all.'

'This is my ninja way!'

_Sasuke shakes his head. Impossible! Why do they have to be so alike and yet so different?__ Maybe Naruto is just screwing with him? Maybe this silly story about another world is just a make-believe? Perhaps he's feigning partial amnesia and… Oh, hell, no! Naruto isn't smart enough, or calculative enough, or… Just not his style. Naruto is straightforward and pig-headed. He wouldn't fake indifference just to make Sasuke come home. Sasuke is pretty sure he is still in control of this situation._

_Sasuke leaves him in the clearing for the night and returns in the morning, expecting to find him exhausted, lying alseep beneath one of the trees. But the clearing is empty. The youth takes a look around. _

"_Oi, Sasuke! Up here!"_

Huh_?_

_Sasuke tilts his head back – and clenches his jaw to keep himself from gaping. The trees are dotted with copies of Naruto. Orange-clad figures hang there in clusters, bright, boisterous, __real__. Sasuke activated the Sharingan._

_No. Way. In. Hell. The dead last has made Kage Bunshin._

_A couple of Narutos hop __off the tree and stroll up to him leisurely, grinning their identical grins._

"_What do you say now, huh?"_

"_Hn."_

_Naruto groans__, disappointed. _

"_We have to move," Sasuke says casually, hoping his dumb astonishment wasn't too obvious.

* * *

_

Fighting Sasuke was… Naruto couldn't explain the feelings it roused, but it felt so natural. They had been thrashing another clearing during the halt at the end of the third day of their crossing with the Sand nins for no less than two hours, and neither of them seemed to get particularly tired of it. Thanks to occasional tips Sasuke was kind enough to be giving, Naruto had polished his fighting style enough to show it off in front of the small crowd that had gathered to watch them after dinner.

"Is there a chance they'll just kill each other and we'll be free to go?" Suigetsu quipped, chewing on the straw of his water jerrican.

"And where exactly would you go?" Juugo asked, disinterested.

The Mist ninja muttered something inaudible to himself. Gaara's siblings chuckled almost in unison.

"Come and get me!" Naruto baited.

A barrage of kunai stood on his way. Swift tongues of fire glared in the metal. Naruto moved like a lightning flash, multiplying as he sought a better angle to perform his attack.

"Yee-haaa!" Kankurou cheered. "Naruto-kun, go, go, go!"

Naruto grinned and propelled himself towards Sasuke, creating a short cut that was barely visible even to a Sharingan eye. It felt really good to have supporters.

A streak of sand cut in between him. Naruto darted aside automatically. Sasuke was nearly struck in flight, but he landed before the sand reached him and assumed a defensive stance.

Panting, Naruto looked up and saw Gaara standing a few metres away, his hand extended forth, his palm open. Particles of sand floated all around him.

"We haven't finished our Chuunin match, Uchiha Sasuke," he said emotionlessly.

A corner of Sasuke's mouth quivered slightly. His hands darted up, the Kusanagi sliding into his grasp. Waves of Chidori streamed over the length of the blade, making it unstoppable. He lunged at Gaara, crashing the sand shield that rose before him. Within an instant the Sand shinobi vanished, leaving but a swirl of grits in his place. Naruto darted up to Sasuke, looking concerned.

"Do you guys have a score to settle or what?"

Sasuke replied with his customary "Hn." It was all he could say before another volley of sand was sent in his direction. Naruto jumped out of harm's way and joined the spectators. He could use a break and some entertainment, and this fight looked promising.

Gaara barely moved at all. His jutsu were far-range and really powerful, so that their effect could be overridden only by Sasuke's speed. Uchiha threw taijutsu into action. Sometimes he was but a blur, his lightning chirping and crackling wildly all around him.

Gaara threw his hand up. A wave of sand crashed over Sasuke and grasped him before he could wriggle out, just a little faster than he was. He drew a Chidori-charged kunai and drove it into the continuous sand stream. Gaara tossed him towards the surrounding trees like a rag doll.

"He's brilliant…" Naruto exhaled. He had never seen anyone keep his cool like that. Even Sasuke's blank eyes would fill with emotions on occasion, be it anger or sorrow. Gaara, on the contrary, stayed serene and impassive no matter what.

"Yeah, like you've never fought him before," Kankurou chuckled.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "That was a long time ago."

Indiscriminate jolts of fire shot in Gaara's direction. The sand wrapped around him like a protective sphere. For a moment everyone was still. Naruto held his breath.

With a low rumbling that sounded like a beastly roar, a giant fire dragon rushed up to the sky and vanished beyond the thick shroud of darkness. Sand needles broke off the sphere and darted towards Sasuke. The sky swelled with a swirl of thunder-clouds. Naruto frowned. This didn't look good.

Abrupt rain streamed down on the clearing. The Sand nins jumped up, clearly unaccustomed to it. Amused by their reaction, Naruto noticed Sasuke's attack in the nick of time. Wet sand and a pair of Chidori-charged shuriken made a bad combination in Naruto's mind. He produced a clone that dashed towards Gaara and intercepted the shuriken before they hit the sphere. The force of the blow would probably equal a bullet hit. The lightning jolted through the clone's body, and it burst with a quiet 'poof'.

The real Naruto jumped at Sasuke and struck him with a swinging blow. His foot connected with Sasuke's jaw.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Naruto screamed at him.

The deadly crimson in Sasuke's eyes faded to black. They stood opposite each other, panting heavily under the hot rain. Then Sasuke bolted. Naruto clenched his fists angrily and rushed after him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?"

The wind whistled in his ears. They were already far enough from the clearing when Sasuke came to a halt and turned to face his pursuer.

"That was a full-blown battle jutsu!" Naruto yelled. "Were you trying to kill him? Use that against me if you like, but not against people who did nothing to you!"

To think that for a moment Naruto had actually wanted to help this bastard! He was shaking with fury, his teeth bared in a snarl.

"Now tell me the truth!" he demanded. "I know you're using me. I'm beginning to think you're more trouble than you're worth. After all, who do you think the Leaf will believe: you, the missing-nin, or me, Uzumaki Naruto, the hero? It'd be a lot easier for you to kill me." He paused, then added gloomily: "Him too, you know. Your Naruto."

"I wouldn't do that," Sasuke said coldly.

"What kind of an idiot are you taking me for?" Naruto scorned. "You've had plenty of opportunities to off me… both of us! Why the fuck are we still alive?"

'Talk to me, Sasuke,' he prayed inwardly, 'don't just cut me off like that. I deserve the fucking truth!'

Sasuke's voice came out hoarse and uncertain, but his words startled Naruto.

"I don't feel so lonely when I know you're alive."

Naruto blinked. "Do you mean it? Or is it your way of telling me to–?"

"What's the point in me telling you to do something?"

That was… reasonable. Naruto couldn't hold back a nervous laugh.

"Why are you running away all the time?" he asked quietly. "What does it matter if I'm alive or dead if I… he is not with you?"

Some random impulse commanded him to reach out towards Sasuke; his fingers brushed Uchiha's forearm. Sasuke intercepted his hand and studied the lines on his palm impassively. Naruto glanced at him, and suddenly an uncontrollable feeling of loathing for this person came over him. Hatred mixed with pity, mixed with understanding, mixed with some other feeling he couldn't quite wrap his mind around. It flooded him, as though it had been whispered into his mind by Sasuke's own lips. His breath came out harsh, jarred.

"You're such a scumbag, Sasuke," he spat, with a note of infinite contempt in his voice. "You keep acting so cool and tough with me, but I know you haven't killed me because I remind you of him! And you could never kill him!"

He fell on his knees, suddenly short of breath. Tears prickled in his eyes. Why did he feel betrayed? He didn't even like the guy, for hell's sake!

Sasuke lowered himself near him. Once again, weariness made itself known, leaving a clear imprint upon his face.

"I can kill you anytime," he said. Obviously, he didn't believe his own statement.

"You keep plotting and betraying," Naruto said hotly, "but you know you'll fail. If he isn't here to stop you, I am. I'll never–."

Sasuke wound his arm around Naruto's shoulders gently. That light embrace made Naruto's eyes grow wider in confusion. He throat was tight. Sasuke leaned closer and whispered, his breath rolling against Naruto's cheek in heavy puffs:

"You don't have to forgive me."

"Sa…"

"He doesn't have to forgive me."

Naruto clutched at his shoulder. They had been friends. In another life, not his life, but the life he could have had, he had been friends with this person. It hurt so much, but he welcomed this pain. 'If I don't hurt, how do I know I live?' someone had said – trillions of years ago.

He pulled away. For a moment his blue eyes, shocked and sad and angry at the same time, were all Sasuke could see. He wanted to rise, but Sasuke held him firmly by the elbow. He drew closer, his eyes closed. The tip of his nose brushed Naruto's whiskered cheek. The youth stiffened.

"I have no choice," Sasuke said in a rushed whisper. "I've long since lost it, in everything I do. I'm not searching for anyone's forgiveness but the dead. Theirs is the only approval I need."

"But they _can't_ give it!" Naruto protested. He touched Sasuke's hand tentatively. His fingers were cool and strangely delicate. "You're the one doing this to yourself. Choosing pain and solitude." Naruto gave his hand a firm, persistent squeeze. "Look me in the eye and tell me that's what you want! This so-called vengeance. Tell me you don't want a normal life!"

He could feel Sasuke's lips hover so close to his cheek. Part of him wanted to feel the contact; part of him rebeled against it.

"Everyone follows their own path," Sasuke said huskily.

"You must have had some dreams before… you know…" Naruto said. " Remember them and live. What's done is done."

Sasuke rose abruptly. The space that had only just been filled with his body was empty now. The air heated by his breath began cooling off.

He was gone.

Naruto slumped his shoulders. This would never work out.


	9. 986 Paper Planes

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS for the latest chapters)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU! + A demon hunt discovers a new side of Naruto and Sasuke's relationship. [Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _An Experiment_ by Mates of State. Quotes from Naruto Chapter 278.

**A/N**: This chapter is choppy and weird and I'm not really pleased with it. Read: I officially hate it. That's what you get if the chapter still sucks after 14 bloody edits! But perhaps it has a couple of moments you've been waiting for. ;) So enjoy – and thank you for all your lovely reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_**986 Paper Planes**_

_I wonder if I c__ould tie the ocean to your knees…_

_**Asagiri Village**_

It was very quiet; not even the sound of waves perturbed this silence of a sinister kind.

Naruto lay in bed, eyes wide open, absolutely sleepless. How could one even fathom sleeping in this house? This sudden sensitivity irked Naruto who had always been proud of his ability to ignore any inconvenience if need be. Like every shinobi did.

Naruto sighed. Those days now seemed to have gone never to return.

Naruto shifted his weight, and the bed squeaked under him. He shivered uncontrollably at the sound and laughed nervously.

"It's just a stupid old house," he told himself pointedly. "It's like this because it's been empty for ages. It's not like there are ghosts here or something!"

A powerful gust of wind swept over the roof. The rustling of leaves outside disturbed the stillness. A dream catcher quivered beneath the ceiling. Naruto wondered if Sasuke lay awake too, haunted by memories. To Naruto, the ghosts of the house were abstract, shapeless, locked in the corners of his a little too vivid imagination; whereas to Sasuke, they would always have faces and names.

For some reason Naruto recalled the photograph on Itachi's shelf. He had never been particularly fond of ruminating, but this night thoughts and ideas were going in circles, like a vortex inside his head. He wanted to know if ghosts made demons, how many demons and forms of demons there were and what sorts of weapons could hurt them. He should probably ask Sasuke about it. That is, when the bastard wanted to speak to him again.

Naruto banged his head into the pillow. Stupid Sasuke! Stupid kiss – over three years later, just why did it have to repeat almost in the same fashion!? Was he cursed, or what?

He tossed the blanket aside, unable to drive away heavy thoughts, and walked out to the terrace. Most likely, Sasuke was out. Naruto couldn't feel anyone else's presence in the house.

He came down to the shore, barefoot, and trod upon the cool sand. Stars twinkled in the sky. Naruto walked on and on until the Uchiha residence was out of sight. He ended up at a small bay where the sand was sprinkled with shingle and shatters of multi-coloured shells. A huge platform, probably an old remnant of some wrecked ship, went deep into the shore. The other edge of it vanished in the depths.

Naruto clambered up it and watched the horizon for some time. It was barely visible, a sliver of black over the identically black sky. The waves lapped at Naruto's feet playfully. He lowered himself on the platform and lay close to water. The smell of salt and seaweed was overwhelming and lulling at the same time. Naruto stretched his arm so that his fingertips dipped into the water. The waves rolled forth, and his hand was consumed; they retreated and then they would come at him again like a kitten demanding attention.

Naruto closed his eyes. For that moment there was peace.

* * *

Naruto woke up flat on his back under the white-hot, stinging sun. His lips were parched, but he felt better than ever. The waves kept licking his hand amicably. It felt almost like crashing in the middle of nowhere after a fine mission.

He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. The surface of the ocean glimmered with sunbeams. The sky looked like it was made of royal blue silk.

A flock of white birds specked the shore. Now and then they would flap their wings, open their disproportionate beaks and screech. Naruto cringed at the sound.

He strode back to the residence leisurely, letting grains of sand run between his toes. 'Must be around noon,' he thought and wondered if Sasuke's sleep pattern was always so erratic.

Naruto brushed the sand off his trousers and entered the house. Sasuke turned up behind one of the screen doors. As soon as Naruto came in, a sharp tip of an arrow placed in the crossbow ended up resting a few millimetres away from his nose.

"Whoa! Are you _this_ mad at me?" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

Sasuke surveyed him darkly. "Move."

Naruto complied. 'Ah, so he's not trying to kill me. Good sign… probably.'

Sasuke squeezed the trigger. The arrow swooshed and plunged into the wall, its shaft splintered by the power of the shot. Sasuke cursed and sat down to adjust the weapon.

"I've been to the haunted house," he said nonchalantly. Naruto perked up. "Damned if I know what that thing there is. It's stronger than poltergeist, but it's hardly a corporeal demon. I'm going back now."

"Count me in!"

With a non-committal "Hn," Sasuke rose to try the crossbow out once more. This time the shot was perfect.

* * *

The haunted house was located on the same end of the village as Sasuke's home near the road that wound up into the mountains. The sun barely reached it here, passing over the pine-tree grove and shedding its light straight on the street.

The house was smaller than Naruto had imagined, but elegant and neat. Miniature _hokora_ shrines were settled on the roadside; if one looked close enough, the disturbing similarity between them and the house became obvious. A moss-covered statue of a smiling deity stood right near the porch.

Naruto and Sasuke came in without further ado. The house was well illuminated inside, but try as he might, Naruto couldn't figure out where the light was coming from.

"So where is it?" he whispered to Sasuke. "Is it what's glowing?"

"It's invisible," Sasuke replied like it was the most stupid thing to ask. "Now shut up and let me think."

Naruto made a face at him when he wasn't looking and ventured into one of the hallways to begin his exploration. Sasuke told him not to go too far. Naruto waved at that dismissively; he was a ninja after all and damn sure could take care of himself.

Oddly enough, the house was in a far better state than the Uchiha residence, as if the owners had only just left it – perhaps they simply went out to have a snack at Torinoko-san's café.

Naruto squirmed and gave himself a mental slap: what kind of an idiot would go hunting demons without having had breakfast first?

He walked through a set of painted _fusuma_ doors and ended up in a room full of origami figures. Those were identical pieces of white paper folded in a form of something that looked like a headless bird.

"Paper planes," Sasuke said behind him. Naruto turned abruptly; he didn't hear him come up.

"What the–?"

"There's a popular belief that if one makes a thousand origami cranes, his wish will come true."

Naruto nodded. He knew this tale. But these things were not cranes…

"How many are there?" he asked.

"Nine hundred eighty-six," Sasuke answered straight away. "The house belonged to the village doctor. He left some time after we did. I remember him. He was there, that morning, when cops asked Itachi questions." Sasuke's voice dropped to a tired whisper. "But then, he always seemed so… down to earth."

Naruto stared at him blankly.

"Why would he stop when he was so close to one thousand?"

Naruto realized with a start what the reason for this investigation was. Perhaps deep inside Sasuke was hoping to find some connections to his own tragedy.

"That's really far-fetched, you know," he said cautiously.

"I don't need you to tell me that," Sasuke retorted. "But think of that: it's a small village where something terrible happened years ago. Demons frequent such places. You'd think it was my house that was supposed to start rotting. But since it's intact…" Sasuke's features froze into a mask of desperate need to piece all the events together. "The house of the one at fault suffers. Maybe these planes… these planes…"

"According to that logic, anyone in the village could have been the culprit," Naruto heard himself objecting. He knew well enough how much it meant to hold on to hope; but this was a false hope.

Strange melancholy possessed Naruto with this revelation. For a moment he felt like crying. There was nothing he could do to set this right – and it was so unfair!

His throat tight and his eyes veiled with tears, he took a step forth and nearly bumped into the table. He staggered backwards and walked into Sasuke. Uchiha drew in a harsh breath. His eyes were also watery.

Naruto craned out his neck and glanced at him. The memory of last night's clumsy 'accident' flashed in his mind. Little did he realize that he was blushing like Hinata whenever she had the misfortune to find herself in his presence.

"Watch it," Sasuke growled. His throat dry, it came out weaker than expected.

"Don't you feel kind of weird?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. I've been up for nearly thirty hours," Sasuke grumbled. "How do you suppose I should feel?"

"No, I mean… kind of tingly."

Naruto's hands were trembling slightly. A strange feeling built up inside him, as irrepressible as depression before it had been.

"Yeah…" Sasuke nodded, looking alarmed. "A little. It must be getting close."

Naruto couldn't shake off the obtrusive feeling. It flooded him, overtook and consumed him.

He thought he should apologize.

"Sasuke," he croaked, his voice cheating on him. "I wanted you to know that… that kiss thing–."

"Don't care," interrupted Uchiha.

"Good. 'Cause I think it's about to happen again."

Naruto spun around fully and pressed his lips against Sasuke's before he knew what he was doing. Sasuke's eyes widened. To Naruto's surprise, Uchiha didn't push him away. Instead, he threw his arms around Naruto, cupped his neck and deepened the kiss. A low groan rumbled in Naruto's throat. Sasuke pushed him into the wall, hands roaming all over his body. Naruto's fingers sifted through his hair. He never actually imagined how it would feel.

They slid on the floor together. Naruto arched his back, never breaking the liplock. Sasuke's eyes gleamed ferally. While their tongues engaged in a ferocious battle, their bodies seconded it, the friction being almost unbearable. They rolled over the floor; Naruto collapsed on top of him and covered his face in kisses. They were clumsy and rushed, and Sasuke responded in the same awkward, hungry manner, tearing hot, ragged gasps out of Naruto's mouth and smiling crookedly at that.

"This is magic," he muttered hoarsely.

Somehow this was the last thing Naruto expected to hear. He laughed, burying his face at the curve of Sasuke's shoulder.

"That's a really cheesy way of putting it!"

Sasuke captured his lips in a brief biting kiss. "No, I mean this _is_ magic. It's the demon. I think I know what it is."

A moan interrupted his speech. Naruto's breath hitched. He tried to make himself stop, but his body wouldn't obey him anymore. Sasuke's hand glided dangerously southward.

"Hey! That's a no-go zone," Naruto blurted out, placing it elsewhere. Every touch was turning into pure agony.

"It's called a consumer," Sasuke explained while Naruto's tongue was drawing a moist line across his jaw. "It feeds off of human emotions, the ones that are predominant at the moment. These bitches are tough. Even Orochimaru didn't know much about them. Oi! That's off limits too!"

He knocked Naruto's hand away from his groin, flashing him a very eloquent look that promised hours of torture if they ever got themselves out of this mess.

Naruto tried to concentrate on something else. A few moments later he gave up on it. There was nothing else in the world. Nothing but Sasuke and his hot breath against Naruto's cheek, his ravenous kisses and his rough caress, the scent and the feel of his skin, the welcoming warmth of his mouth… Naruto uttered a long-drawn-out groan of half-excitement, half-disappointment. Why did this have to be happening? It was _Sasuke_, for fuck's sake!

He thought that if he repeated the name long enough, if he allowed it to spill through his lips and ring in the air, he would see the more habitual image of Sasuke. _His_ Sasuke. That was supposed to sober him up.

Sasuke's hand found a way beneath his t-shirt. His blunt nails scraped Naruto's back lightly. Uchiha was trying hard to focus and think past the flood of sensations.

"We have two options," he said firmly. "Number one: we do what we're doing to the end – and then we burn."

"Please tell me it's just a flowery expression!"

Sasuke propped up and caught Naruto's earlobe between his lips. "No, it's literal." Swept his tongue over the rim of Naruto's ear. "That's what they do when emotions are too intense for a human to control. We combust, and they swallow the energy."

Naruto ripped Sasuke's shirt open. He ducked and twirled his tongue around the youth's nipple. Damn, this was getting way too far!

"The second option is to get out of here," Sasuke went on. "Its influence shouldn't go beyond the house… yet."

He gathered his strength and pushed Naruto away. The youth hit the table, knocking it upside down. Paper planes poured over him like oversized misshapen snowflakes. Unable to stay away too long, Sasuke sprang up to him and pinned him to the floor. 'Boy, am I lucky!' Naruto thought sarcastically. 'First some rotting creep, then a pervy ghost! Can't I get a normal demon? If Ero-sennin had seen me now…' The name brought sadness and for a moment he held on to it, trying to switch like he had already switched once before. But the sadness wasn't strong enough, and desire swept over him with a new force.

They moved frantically, haphazardly, aching and burning all over. They would pull apart, drawing closer to the door inch by inch, and they would meet again and give each other smothering kisses and claw at each other's skin and cry out in rapture and look at each other with hateful eyes.

Naruto thought his body would go up in flames. Every fibre of it was poisoned with the feeling of Sasuke being so close, so demanding and aggressive. When they finally rolled out on the porch and jumped into the dusty grass of the orchard, it took them a few minutes to realize the effects of the consumer had worn thin. Chill settled against their heated skin like a second layer. Their pulse began to slow down. Sasuke breathed in noisily through the nose and lifted his head to look at Naruto.

"Well, shit…"

Naruto chuckled weakly. They rose, shaking, and darted away from the house, panting heavily. Once they were safely away, Sasuke pushed at Naruto's shoulder exasperatedly.

"You just had to bring up the kiss! Next time if you come with me, make sure you don't think about things like that. Or anything that makes you mad, sad, happy or whatever! Though it's probably an impossible task for you."

Naruto opened his mouth in indignation. "Oh, I can manage it all right! Be like you, is that what you mean? I can do that; I'll just have to shove a huge stick up my ass!"

"You won't deny that it's your bloody fault things turned out this way, will you? You just can't keep your mouth shut!"

Naruto balled his fists. If the bastard was intentionally trying to piss him off, he was damn good at it. Probably the only thing he was good at, anyway.

"I wouldn't have felt the need to apologize if you hadn't been acting like I'd done it on purpose!" Naruto spat.

"And to prove your point you decided to kiss me again."

"Didn't hear you complaining."

"I wouldn't have kissed back if you hadn't latched onto me like a fucking leech!"

"I couldn't see properly! I wouldn't have been all misty-eyed if you hadn't told me that tear-jerker about your past!"

"Tear-jerker?" Sasuke bellowed. "It's the story of my life! Believe me, I never wanted it to turn out this way!"

"You're not the only person who had a crappy childhood!"

Sasuke swiped him in the face, trembling with rage. Naruto threw his hand up to strike back and suddenly froze. Something was very wrong about it. The terror of his words crashed down on him like bucketfuls of icy water. His eyes widened with shock.

Sasuke looked no less flabbergasted. He eyed his own hand like he couldn't remember where he had seen it before. Little by little, his breathing calmed.

"Was it… that thing from the house?" Naruto asked.

"It's spreading. Before long, it will consume the entire village. Let's go. I need to check my books."

He hurried back to the Uchiha residence. Naruto had never seen him so worried before.

"Sasuke, I…" he murmured.

"Don't," Uchiha said without looking back at him. "Bad things happen when you try to apologize."

* * *

"I'm bored!" Naruto declared after three hours of doing what Sasuke called 'research'.

The books were in truth old, frayed notepads that used to belong to Orochimaru. The pages were yellow and sullied and covered in small, messy handwriting. The text spread continuously over the pages, sometimes placed diagonally and intersected with crude drawings and mysterious symbols. At any other time Naruto might have been interested in perusing the pictures, but right now it seemed like a grandiose waste of time. Not to mention, he was initially mistrustful of anything that belonged to Orochimaru.

"I say we go kick its invisible ass now!" he flared up.

"Chill out, okay? I told you to clear your mind. Otherwise, it will kick our asses." Sasuke rubbed his eyes wearily and reached out for another notepad. "Damn, there's too little information on these things. Orochimaru died before he could complete his research. But I think Chidori could at least hurt it."

Naruto choked on the inhale.

"What!? Chidori?"

Sasuke looked up at him for an instant and pointed towards the crossbow.

"That's Chidori. At some point with its special arrows it gets really noisy, hence the name."

Naruto gaped at the crossbow that lay innocently on the tatami beside Sasuke and burst out laughing. Now that was a surprise! He wondered if there was also a Katon gun or a Sharingan… er… something. Now that he thought about it again, it was really strange to see Sasuke and Itachi without the Sharingan.

"Why don't you go get us both something to eat?" Sasuke suggested. "We still have a couple of hours. I'll finish the research."

Naruto jumped up readily. Anything not to bury himself in these strange books. Sasuke didn't look up as he left.

* * *

Torinoko-san's diner was a given. Naruto came home half an hour later, dry grains of rice stuck to his chin and his stomach pleasantly full. Torinoko-san had given him a few onigiri; unfortunately for Sasuke, they were too delicious, so he ate them on the way back, leaving only one for him.

That didn't matter since Sasuke wasn't there.

Naruto cursed under his breath. That bastard! Kicked him out and left to fight that thing alone. He didn't trust him at all. Did he fear that Naruto would get too emotional?

"I'll show you emotional!" Naruto fumed.

Before long, he was on the doorstep on the haunted house. He wanted to storm in right away, but something stopped him. In a way Sasuke was right. He couldn't let his emotions get hold of him again (especially since he was really mad at Sasuke now and could end up killing him instead of the enemy).

Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself back at Myoubokuzan. It was the only place where he could achieve absolute stillness.

He needed to get rid of the baggage. Otherwise, Sasuke and him would both be endangered.

Determined, Naruto stepped inside the house. It was quiet, the same as last time. Naruto moved deeper uncertainly, barely allowing himself to breathe.

"Sasuke?"

Something crunched beneath his foot. Naruto looked down and saw a frosty coating on the floor. It was suddenly oddly cold.

Naruto pushed aside the rising apprehension and dove into one of the rooms. Puffs of foggy smoke were squeezed under the ceiling. Naruto looked around and spotted someone sitting in the armchair, his back on the door.

"Sasuke!"

He rushed up to the youth. Hoarfrost covered Sasuke's immobile form. He looked like he had spent hours in the refrigerator. His lips moved. His voice came out hissing, and Naruto failed to discern the words. He leaned in closer and asked Sasuke to repeat.

"Don't… t-touch… m-me."

"I'm here to help."

Sasuke's eyes became alarmed.

"T-take it… B-behind… you…"

Naruto opened his mouth to ask for a clarification. A sharp gasp escaped Sasuke's throat. Naruto spun around, apprehensive. The consumer hovered beneath the ceiling; that much was certain. Perhaps that ethereal smoke was its physical representation.

"Elements…" Sasuke breathed.

Naruto's gaze stumbled upon Chidori that lay discarded on the floor. He made a go for it, narrowly escaping a column of fire that spurted from the corner of the ceiling. His heart beating somewhere in his throat, he aimed at the smoky cloud – and halted, bewildered.

"I–. I don't know where to–."

"Just pull the trigger!"

Naruto did. The bolt, burdened with a small sinker of feathers tied together in a bunch, dove straight inside the smoke. The cloud trembled and another jet of fire rolled across the room.

"Sasuke!"

There was a movement next to him. He brandished the crossbow warily. Sasuke's hand shot forth through the settling smoke and grabbed hold of the weapon.

"Give me that."

"What the hell are those elements?" Naruto blurted out.

His chest felt tight. He couldn't understand the sudden ache coiling deep inside his stomach. But he wasted no time to place it.

"It's getting stronger," said Sasuke. "They're the physical manifestations of emotions it takes from us. It's fighting back. You were angry when you came here, weren't you?" Naruto nodded. Fire. "I was sad because I was thinking about my family. That was water."

"And that's fear," Naruto breathed, feeling the gusts of icy wins against his face.

He knew that feeling. He remembered it. Gaara, during the Chuunin Exam. Before he saw deeper into Gaara's heart. Before they were friends. Naruto had been afraid of him.

He cursed fiercely through gritted teeth. The consumer had somehow found that memory and was squeezing fear out of it.

"Stop," Sasuke said commandingly. His hand came to rest on Naruto's shoulder. The wind swirled all around them like a hurricane. "We need to tear it apart. It induces the same emotions in everyone so it can feed. We need to…"

He was scared too. Naruto forced a smile at the thought. And then he tried to make himself feel something else.

"To make it choose," Sasuke concluded. "Water versus fire."

So that bitch wanted Gaara? Gaara it would get, thought Naruto darkly and focused on the memory of Gaara's death. It was hard to filter pure sadness through streaks of anger, but he left fury to Sasuke now.

And from Gaara, like a transparent thread, there stretched his tie to Sasuke.

"_I couldn't save Sasuke… And I couldn't save Gaara… Nothing's changed since three years ago, has it?"_

He had to be careful not to let it spill over into happiness about Gaara's revival. He switched quickly to the ones they had lost. The Sandaime, Chiyo-baa-sama, Asuma-sensei, Ero-sennin. Tears and more tears.

He glanced up at the cloud briefly. Streaks of fire were brewing inside it.

"What are you thinking?" Naruto asked.

"About you," Sasuke said in a harsh voice. "How much you piss me off. Try harder, idiot. You're not sad enough."

Naruto had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He had always had poor control over his emotions.

He thought about Sasuke. Traitorous, renegade Sasuke. The broken bond. The friendship that led to heartache. Sasuke from his world.

And he thought about home. He felt it very sharply all of a sudden that he was an alien in this world, that he didn't _belong_, never could.

Tears splattered down his cheeks.

Sasuke was trembling. He balled his fists so hard his knuckles turned white; his lips moved noiselessly, and Naruto thought he caught him saying, "It's all your fault," before he turned around and slammed his fist into the floor. Fire flared beneath the ceiling.

The consumer _screamed_. It was a dreadful, ultra-high sound that resonated through Naruto's body, making his ears bleed. He covered them in agony. He could barely see Sasuke past the red haze in his eyes. Uchiha clenched the crossbow and fired at the demon. Fire and water rained heavily down on the floor.

Naruto looked up, panting heavily. The cocktail of emotions rising within him was overwhelming. Gradually, the terrible sound began to die down.

"There goes water," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto frowned. The demon was _crying_. It swelled, impregnated with heavy amounts of icy water. A couple more jets – and they would become ice statues.

"Chidori!" Naruto exclaimed all of a sudden. Oh, that seemed like a brilliant idea! It had to work. "Does it shoot electricity?"

"Yes." Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

"Get ready. I might have a plan."

It was tricky. It was dangerous and it would probably fail. But Naruto wasn't exactly known for giving up. Tear it apart, Sasuke had said. Piece of cake. He performed Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and his duplicates, brimming with anger and sorrow and determination, rushed in to assault the demon. It was dumb and could hardly tell the real one and the copies apart.

Sasuke watched in awe as three similar figures moulded the Rasengan. Naruto reminded himself mentally to add taking out crazy non-corporeal demons to this ninjutsu's characteristics if they succeeded.

The Rasengan changed its shape in Naruto's hand as he rushed to attack. Jets of water sprung forth, washing the clones away. Naruto jumped, the giant vanes of the Rasenshuriken cutting fiercely through the enchanted water. It fell on the floor in deformed blobs.

"Now!"

The familiar sound of birds chirping filled the room. Blue sparks flared blindingly. Sasuke pulled the trigger.

Low rumbling noise filled the room, growing louder as it rolled through it like a cannon ball. It rose to a deafening pitch and shattered the windows. Shards of glass poured all over the flooded floor.

Sasuke lifted his head. The power of the shot left his hand shaking.

"Na… Naruto," he called huskily.

He must have got caught in the jolt. Sasuke's heart made a violent leap. Half of the room was frozen, another – blown away. Sasuke jerked his weapons' pouch open and produced a small black candle-end. That should be enough.

He pressed it against the floor before the consumer recovered and lit the wick. Black fire spread over to the floor; its uneven bands ran merrily in different directions. The black fire would devour the demon and cleanse the cursed house.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out once he was sure the dying remains of the demon wouldn't knock the candle over.

A quiet groan forwarded him to the armchair. He skidded over the ice coating towards it.

Naruto. Frozen. But alive. Good.

"Idiot," Sasuke said sharply. "Why the hell did you come at all? Wasn't me leaving without you a big enough hint?"

"You're the id… idiot!" Naruto said, his teeth clattering uncontrollably. "Think you c-can just… have all the f-fun with-thout m-me?"

His face brightened into a wicked grin. Sasuke snorted. Idiot. By any other name, he would be an idiot. That idiot actually turned out to be helpful. Best not to think about it, though. As soon as the idiot thawed out, Sasuke would kick his ass and then probably thank him for saving his life.

Speaking of thawing out, that looked like it would take some time. Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder hesitantly. The crust of ice was slowly melting.

Black flames danced upon the floor. Naruto took a shaky breath. Colour was returning to his cheeks. Sasuke leaned into him, brushed the specks of ice out of his hair.

"Wh-what are you–?" Naruto started to ask.

Telling him to shut up in a rather irritable voice, Sasuke traced his fingers up and down Naruto's forearm, not really sure what he was doing. The ice on Naruto's face turned to rivulets of melted water. Sasuke's fingers danced up to Naruto's neck indecisively, rubbing circles over his exposed skin.

It was hot in the room. Water trickled down the half-frozen walls. Fire vaporized it. It was a feast of elements blending together, fusing into each other and painting the smashed up room in new colours.

Naruto inclined his head languidly. His cheeks flushed, the whisker-marks unusually dark against the skin, and his eyes were sparkling.

"Why do you always have to butt in?" Sasuke murmured in his ear.

"Maybe it's because your sorry ass needs saving all the time," Naruto shot back. His voice sounded deeper than it usually did.

As soon as he was able to move, he rose and faced Sasuke. Their clothes were wet and hung baggily around their bodies. Black fire swirled around them in smooth spirals, but even when it touched them they couldn't feel it, save for some abstract, ethereal warmth.

Water was going up like the laws of gravity had ceased to exist.

Sasuke leaned closer to Naruto and caught his lips in a fleeting kiss. A bare brushing of mouth against mouth, senseless, a bit tired. Naruto drew in a sharp breath, inadvertently inhaling the puffs of Sasuke's breath. Icy. Tasteless.

Naruto moved forth and clamped his mouth over Sasuke's none too gently. Every kiss they had shared throughout these messed-up days was to Naruto the limit of peculiarity mixed with idiocy, but he couldn't bring himself to wonder why he was doing it again. The soft moan that erupted from Sasuke's mouth a second before they broke apart made Naruto's skin crawl.

"That's the demon too," Naruto said, clinging to the deceptive certainty of his intonation. It was he who screwed it up the following instant. "Right?"

"Yeah," Sasuke breathed, his hands roaming Naruto's body as if leading the life of their own. "Though it's dead. But that's definitely not an excuse."

The soft sarcasm of his words made Naruto chuckle. Sasuke's lips traveled lower, down to his neck. Naruto turned his head a little; the heavy spikes of Sasuke's hair brushed his nose, and he sniffed uncontrollably.

Sasuke lifted his head, and their lips met again, hungrier, more demanding. Must have been some demonic leftover, definitely, because Naruto didn't think he could control himself anymore. Sasuke's hands were everywhere, stroking him beneath the clothes, peeling its rumpled layers off. Naruto grabbed a fistful of Sasuke's shirt and pulled him as close as it possible, eliminating all unnecessary space between them. He felt intoxicated, high on the adrenaline of the unfamiliar battle, and the demon's attack, and the closeness of Sasuke…

He helped Sasuke out of his shirt and lapped at his skin eagerly with his tongue. The no-go zones weren't that much off limit anymore; Naruto released a quiet hiss as he felt Sasuke's fingers crawl underneath the fabric of his trousers. Sensations rolled upon him like a tidal wave, jumping erratically between blurry and sharp. Naruto lowered his hand, let it open Sasuke's fly and mimicked the other's movements clumsily. He buried his face on Sasuke's shoulder, quivering under the pressure of the strange heat that flooded him.

He paid attention to Sasuke's skin for the first time now. His shoulders and his neck – they were clean, no sign of the cursed seal. Naruto nipped gently at the spot where it was supposed to be.

His knees buckled. He slumped against the armchair, missed the seat and ended up in the puddle of melted ice on the floor, and tilted his head back, melting away with his release. Sasuke crashed against him, breathing heavily.

'At least we kept ourselves warm,' Naruto thought, dazed, once again searching for a way to justify their actions.

Sasuke withdrew his hand and was now eyeing him sullenly. He would probably start protesting now. Perhaps Naruto should forestall him. But as he opened his mouth, Sasuke silenced him with another kiss, erasing every word that was prepared to spring forth from Naruto's tongue.

Sasuke spread Naruto's legs further apart and nested himself between them. A short gasp of indignation escaped Naruto's throat. If they were going to do what he thought they were going to do, what was it that made Sasuke think he would let him–? Last time Naruto checked, he was a guy, and guys (if you believed Ero-sennin's books at least) were supposed to–.

Shit! Last time he checked Sasuke was a guy too.

'Demon,' Naruto reminded himself. '_Dead_ demon. Fuck!' That certainly didn't help.

Sasuke's fingers ghosted below Naruto's waist. Naruto nearly bit into Sasuke's shoulder as he felt those fingers being eased inside him. His body clenched up at the intrusion involuntarily, and Naruto moaned – in protest, mixed with excitement. The cadence of Sasuke's breathing sounded like strokes of a metronome to his ears.

Sasuke removed his hand and pushed up slightly.

"Stop it," Naruto said, his tongue heavy with warning. He wasn't sure what he wanted to stop.

The strange emptiness inside was defeated by the overwhelming sensation of Sasuke sliding inside him. Naruto wrapped his legs tighter around him, trying to ignore the feeling of strange discomfort that was slowly growing into the need for more standing on the borderline between pleasure and pain.

"You can move a little, you know," Naruto whispered teasingly into Sasuke's ear.

"Oh, shut up," Sasuke exhaled, exasperated.

He had probably never done this before either.

He moved; curiously, exploring at first, his breath tickling Naruto's skin. His pace gradually became more rhythmic. He parted his lips against Naruto's collarbone, and his tongue performed a fleeting dance across the skin.

Unwittingly, he brushed some spot inside Naruto, and a wave of heat rose within him. Naruto bucked his hips, allowing Sasuke to get deeper. Their movements became ragged, zealous like a minor battle. Naruto's mouth was unnaturally dry. Sasuke looked up at him. His fringe was plastered to his damp forehead; he looked angry, yearning and a tad curious at the same time.

They cried out throatily, discordantly, and their motions slowed down until they were still against each other.

'Dead demons can work wonders,' a darkly humourous thought flashed in Naruto's mind.

* * *

The breeze sifted through Naruto's hair gently as he ran along the street. Sparks of sun swarmed on the blue surface of the sea that glimmered through the verdure. Naruto squinted contentedly. Demon hunting sure was fun.

The village was buzzing, plucked out of its habitual somnolence. Naruto pricked up his ears curiously, hoping to catch the subject of the villagers' heated discussion. Their excited voices rang in the air all around him like the music of an old festival that had just woken up from its forced slumber.

Someone called him by name. He turned to see the petite café owner who was looking at him with playful reproach.

"Leaving today, or so I heard, eh, Naruto-kun? Pity. You are my favourite customer!"

Naruto chuckled with a helpless shrug. Their job was done, and Sasuke insisted that they should return to the city as soon as possible. Torinoko-san had come to be Naruto's favourite café hostess as well, but God forbid Ichiraku ever knew about this.

"The streets are so lively today," he commented innocently. "Anything big happened?"

"You know there is a haunted house in the village, don't you?" Torinoko-san whispered excitedly. It was obvious she had been waiting for a chance to share the rumours. "Seems like whatever evil dwelt there finally abandoned it! They saw black smoke rising from the chimney pipe."

Naruto's smile widened. Torinoko-san's remark brought a surge of pride. It was pleasant and strange at the same time to hear gossip about himself.

"I do hope Sasuke-kun drops by to say goodbye," the old lady sighed. "Who knows if I shall ever see him again. Oh, he's grown so handsome!" Naruto snorted. It was not the first time someone lauded Sasuke in front of him. However, the words that followed dampened Naruto's spirit. "And a police academy cadet just like his brother! Fugaku-san would be so proud."

_Police academy cadet_? Naruto's grin faded. He nodded absent-mindedly and, having promised to make Sasuke come by before the bus departed, headed back to the residence. The misplaced bit of information puzzled him. Why would Sasuke keep his true job secret?

Naruto found Sasuke in the living room. The youth was sitting on the futon at the squat tea table. The paper planes salvaged from the half-ruined haunted house lay in piles all around him. He showed no indication of having noticed Naruto coming in.

"Just met Torinoko-san," Naruto said blandly. "She thinks you go to police academy."

Sasuke's fingers came to rest upon a stack of white sheets of paper.

"They all do," he answered quietly. "I'd like to keep it that way."

"But why?"

"The villagers are superstitious folk, Naruto. To them, there is little difference between demons and hunters. I don't think they would have thanked us if they knew."

Naruto sat down, cupping his knees with his hands. Somehow it was incredibly touching of Sasuke to tell a lie like this. He had previously claimed to work only for money, but he got no money or recognition from this case whatsoever.

"I think I know the story of these planes," Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto raised his head, ready to listen. "Heard the people talk. The doctor's daughter fell gravely ill, and her mother took her to the hospital in the town on the other side of the mountain ridge. The doctor couldn't go with them because he had to find a replacement for himself first. It took him nearly two years. He had been making these planes all that time. He left when he finally found a new medic for the village. I don't know if his daughter lived or not, but he left the planes. The house began to rot long after his departure."

In other words, it happened to be nothing but a chain of coincidental events. There was no connection to the old Uchiha tragedy, and the doctor had not been weaving a curse or making amends for some old sins. He had only wanted his little girl to recover.

Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of Sasuke's face. He must have been disappointed.

"But why planes?" Naruto asked to disrupt the lengthening silence. "The legend says birds."

"What if he didn't know how to make anything but planes?"

Naruto's gaze traveled around the room, taking in the faded white heaps of origami figures with their sharp angles and triangular wings. Nine hundred eighty-six. They looked solemn and discarded. Leaving them here felt like leaving unfinished business behind.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Well, actually… I have fourteen sheets of paper here." Sasuke lifted his hand, and the soft wind flew in through the wide open window and stirred the stack on the table. "I was going to leave seven for you."

Naruto grinned.

"You'll have to show me how to fold them. My hands are all thumbs when it comes to fancywork."


	10. Coconut Skins

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+ (SPOILERS)

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU… and they change places! + Naruto is driven to make a decision concerning Sasuke; a new enemy catches the two at their worst.[Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics from _I Speak Not_ by George Gordon Byron. Chapter title from the song of the same name by Damien Rice. Quotes from Naruto Chapters 7, 400.

**A/N**: Back to the canon-verse again, are we? ;) This chapter is slightly shorter than I planned it to be but it's because I had to transfer the final scene of it into the next chapter. The new division is more logical. Thus, this one is more about choices and decision-making and acceptance. Enjoy, and thank you for all your beautiful reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_**Coconut Skins**_

_I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name;  
There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;  
But the tear that now burns on my cheek may impart  
The deep thoughts that dwell in that silence of heart._

_**Team Sand/Team Hawk camp**_

"Naruto."

The youth spun around to face the person who called his name softly, and saw Gaara standing a few metres away from him.

"Don't do that again," he muttered sullenly. He was really tired of people sneaking up on him. "Why are you here?"

Gaara took a few steps towards him and stood near him. Naruto was looking up at the stars, tall grass swaying lightly all around him. His hands froze a little over the surface of this emerald ocean, and the spikes of grass brushed his palms.

"I can't get used to it," Gaara said. "Sleeping. It feels odd." After a short pause he added: "I would have been all right, you know."

Naruto uttered a non-committal 'hmm'. He felt angry with himself for having lost his temper like that. But Sasuke… he was just so…

"He, on the other hand, seems unstable. I know this feeling only too well. Torn between the darkest desires, with blood on your hands, so much of it that it becomes your tomb. I challenged him to see if I was right. Unfortunately, I feel that I was."

Unstable, Naruto thought with a scowl. Sasuke had completely lost it. That slip of sanity could have cost them both dearly.

"It's not that simple between the two of you, is it?" Gaara pried gently.

"It never will be. I can see his true colours." Naruto bit his lip. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to be talking like that, taking the other Naruto's dedication to Sasuke into account. "What am I going to do? I don't feel anything for him. I don't even want to. Have– I really wasted three years on finding him? I must have been out of my mind."

"Don't say that," Gaara cut him off. There was a steely edge to his voice. "You never give up. This isn't the time you started."

Naruto took a deep breath. Great; now he felt like crying. He couldn't afford it, not in front of Gaara or anyone from his clique, or Sasuke, or Hawk, or even alone. He never cried.

"It is not in our power to control the others' fate," Gaara went on, "but there are always some hidden paths that lead straight to the point of your destination. They are easy to overlook, but they are the right ones. Despair will only cloud your mind. Right now your village needs you. And he… he is your friend, right? He needs you too."

Naruto's eyes widened. He felt frightened. The weight of this responsibility was too much for him. He had always been the carefree, happy-go-lucky demon child, too selfish for his own good. He had never had to care for anyone. And right now so many people suddenly _needed_ him. So many people were ready to put their faith in him.

"What if I'm the wrong person?" he exclaimed. "I can't save anyone!"

Gaara's placid eyes gleamed, betraying but a hint of his inner turmoil.

"Sometimes the people we want to help think they don't need any help," he said dryly. "Do you remember the person I was? Do you remember what I told you about the meaning of my existence? I lived to kill. Only that way could I feel happy. But that was never true happiness. You changed me, Naruto. Only you… you alone had the power to do that. It is thanks to you that I am what I am now. If you don't see it, then you are blind."

Naruto's lips trembled. That was all very poetic – and not a word of it was said about him. It was a different Naruto back than. All Konoha (and Sasuke) had now was him – and he was ready to renounce them because he was scared. He wished he weren't such a coward.

"So your friend is a pig-headed jerk who is neck-deep in the mess he's made himself," Gaara said ruthlessly. "Big deal! You have been through this so many times. You are Uzumaki Naruto! You have things to fight for and friends to protect. You have your dreams and your power and your promises."

"I… It's not…"

"If you turn your back on it all, you will be just like him. You will betray yourself and all the people you have helped. I can't let it happen because I am your friend and I'm proud of it."

Tears splattered over Naruto's cheeks. Gaara's passion was contagious; he could feel it contaminating him and couldn't fight it. If Gaara only knew that his words were directed at the wrong person!

On the other hand, what did it matter if he was not the Naruto that had changed Gaara? What did it matter if he hadn't given any promises and hadn't spent three bloody years trying to become stronger for Sasuke's sake? He was here now, he was their alternative to the world without Naruto at all. He was their chance, and they were his.

"Gaara," Naruto said huskily. "Thank you. You are stronger than I am. You've managed to change my mind."

The Kazekage smiled, slightly embarrassed.

Silence, vast and endless, stretched between them. A surge of gratitude towards this almost-stranger who spoke so openly, so ardently to him overwhelmed Naruto.

"Your village is lucky," he whispered. To his right, Gaara inclined his head curiously. "You must be a great ruler."

"I believe in friends and future, that's all."

Naruto peered at him intently. Friends and future… Wasn't that something the Chief might have told him to believe in? Yes… it sounded like a nice thing.

Naruto smiled. He would give that bipolar prick another chance. Because they could be friends.

* * *

They parted the next day, the Sand shinobi continuing on their way to the Kage summit. Naruto and Gaara shook hands, only a pair of identical small smiles that played on their lips betraying the memory of what had transpired the night before. Once again, Naruto was thrust into the vortex of moody silence interspersed with Karin and Suigetsu's minor arguments on the way.

He was mulling over the chain of events that had got him landed where he was. It might have been his chance to change. He had never felt the need for it before, but hearing Gaara speak of _him_ like he wielded some kind of power to affect the lives and the fortunes of those around him made Naruto think: What if he could?..

Engrossed in suchlike thoughts, Naruto snapped out of that uncharacteristic silence what seemed to be hours later, upon hearing a carnival melody rippling through the air. There must have been a town nearby. A sudden desire to enter it and get lost among the crowd – only to break away from his company – descended upon Naruto.

"Bloody hell!" Suigetsu swore fervently.

Naruto glanced at him briefly. The Mist ninja was shaking his jerrican in dismay. It was empty.

"We'll be by the river again soon," Sasuke observed. "You'll refill it there."

Suigetsu grumbled something about authoritarism and the general injustice of this sick sad world, but refrained from starting an argument. As they pushed further, the sounds of music grew louder. Sasuke attempted a maneuver to keep away from the town gate, but Naruto took lead decidedly, and to his amusement, the team followed him without any questions.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke hissed, catching up with him and blocking his way.

To hell with changing! At least for today.

"Oh, come on! Konoha can wait a couple of hours!"

He pushed Uchiha out of the way, smirking at his sullen expression. The guy must have thought he was mad, procrastinating deliberately after having uttered quite a few passionate speeches about how important it was to make it to the village in time. Naruto loved unsettling Sasuke; he wasn't ashamed to admit that he cared about it much more than he did about the entire village.

"Don't look at me," Suigetsu said, catching Sasuke's moody look. "He talks sense. I'm going to find a water pump now."

He waved his jerrican in front of the captain comically and vanished into the glitter-strewn darkness of the gateway. Naruto skewed his eyes upon Karin who was shifting from one foot to the other indecisively, casting flirtatious looks at Sasuke. He was too far to discern the words, but when she said something, Sasuke dismissed her with vague irritation and sped away into the grove outside the town. Blatant disappointment was written all over Karin's face as she turned around and walked towards the gate. Juugo lingered on the spot for a moment, as if not fully certain what he was supposed to do, and then followed her.

* * *

With the proper lighting Karin was pretty. That was the conclusion Naruto came to after watching her for a few long minutes.

It was two hours after they had entered the town. Naruto had used them to the maximum, just strolling amidst the colourfully dressed-up people, stuffing his stomach with all sorts of food and even dancing. He was twirling an empty dango senbon between his teeth, sitting at the street bar counter with a weary but pleased outlook when Karin came into view. She flung herself on the chair casually and ordered sake. Her cheeks were flushed and her flaming red hair was scattered all over her shoulders.

Her beauty, or whatever the effects that made her face nice to look at could be defined as, was rough and a bit sultry – at least when she was conscious of it. Sometimes, however, her eyes would open wide and her lips would part somewhat innocently, and she wouldn't look so bitchy and unpleasant to deal with. She had the power both to attract and repulse people; in Naruto's case, it often worked simultaneously.

"Just what does a girl have to do to get a guy's attention?" she whined, taking a swig from her cup. She wasn't looking at Naruto, but he knew she was talking to him and he knew exactly what the subject of this rant would be. "Honestly, sometimes I think I should just perform a striptease right under his nose, but he wouldn't notice that anyway! Men are pigs." She sighed dramatically and added after a pause: "It's a universal wisdom that has gone through centuries for all women to live by; yet we keep pining for the most unattainable guys!"

Naruto held a quizzical pause and then said: "And you're telling me this because… I'm _not_ a guy?"

"I don't _know_ why I'm telling you this!" Karin flared up.

Naruto chuckled with slight unease. What did she see in Sasuke's anyway? From what he remembered of the other Naruto's story, Sasuke had always been this girls' magnet type. _Why?_ Seriously, what was it with all those girls liking men who didn't talk to them, didn't so much as look in their direction and acted like they had the biggest stick up their asses that had ever existed!

Wanting to change the subject before Karin jumped all over him, he found nothing better than to wonder mistrustfully, "How old are you anyway?"

Karin traced his look directed at her drink and scowled at him:

"That's a really rude question, foxboy! Besides, it's not like they actually wanted to see an ID." She brought the cup to her mouth and then lowered it with a low growl. Her lips twisted in distaste. "Will you just look at that? This moron is picking up a fight again! Suigetsu, you idiot!"

She stormed off, leaving Naruto to wonder if he would ever see Suigetsu in one piece again. Probably not. Oh, well, life's cruel.

He yawned delightfully. It felt good to relax in this festive atmosphere, but no matter how much he wanted it to go on, it was time to go lest he should get engaged into another fight with Sasuke. Naruto was about to leave when the aforementioned Uchiha appeared out of nowhere and took a seat near him.

"Where are they?" he wanted to know.

Naruto shrugged and mentioned that Karin and Suigetsu would probably not be free to go until dawn, what with thrashing the life out of each other somewhere on the other side of the sea of people splashing all over the street. Sasuke kept quiet, surveying Karin's abandoned cup. It gave Naruto an idea.

"You know," he began carefully, "most people don't have an option of crashing an entire village to release their frustration. So they just go for the trivial. They go and get drunk. I've never been drunk."

Sasuke turned to him slowly, his intense gaze lingering upon Naruto's face. The youth smiled wryly. A moment later Sasuke picked the cup up and downed it at a single draught. Naruto laughed and signaled to the bartender to bring some more.

* * *

Over the years Naruto had grown accustomed to waking up to various sorts of ache, be it the aftermath of a street fight, or the side effects of a jutsu training, or even the hurt of being rejected. All that, he could deal with. The splitting, tormenting pain in his skull, however, was new to him.

Naruto opened his eyes – and promptly squeezed them shut again. It pained him to look. His head was spinning, and everything around him was glaringly white. The whiteness stood before him even with his eyes closed, safely tucked underneath his eyelids. His mouth was dry as a desert.

He lay still, waiting for the buzzing in his head to subside. When he opened his eyes again, there was a bleary blob leaning over him.

"How many fingers do you see?" the blob asked in Suigetsu's voice.

At first Naruto thought the jerk was mocking him because he could see no fingers at all. Then a few long, skeletal shapes came into view.

"S-six," he rasped. He vaguely remembered that such a number shouldn't be the norm. "Have you mutated?"

Suigetsu disappeared, having released a quiet sigh of surprise. A flare of red replaced him. Naruto shut his eyes again. Too bright. Why did everything have to be so bright?

"You two are just _so stupid_!" Karin's shrill voice rang in his ears.

Naruto cringed. Karin… Right, the festival. She hadn't finished her sake, but Sasuke did. Naruto's eyes snapped open. Oh, hell! He rolled his head to the right with an effort and spotted Uchiha sprawled near him. He looked lifeless, his face pale, as though covered in flour.

"My head's like a beehive…" Naruto whined.

Sasuke opened one eye and stared at him blankly like he couldn't see him at all. Naruto ran his swollen tongue over his lips. So that's how it felt to get really drunk… Gross.

"You!" Karin shrieked. Naruto inhaled deeply, feeling he would be sick, when she grabbed him by the collar and yelled in his face: "It's your fault! Before you came along, things like this just didn't happen!"

Naruto wheezed, trying to get her attention to one far less than pleasant fact: a characteristic lump was coming up to his mouth and his vision was swimming. He blinked a few times, his breathing level, then turned his head as far as he could manage and threw up. Karin jumped backwards with an outcry of surprise and made a disgusted face. Naruto groaned.

Within the next hour his condition fluctuated fluidly from nightmarish to hardly bearable. Sasuke's was no better, except when he vomited, Karin would support him and be exceedingly nice to him even though he paid her back with vicious glances harbouring killing intent.

"Not so cool now, huh?" Suigetsu muttered, earning himself about the same glare from Karin herself.

Nevertheless, Karin's infatuation didn't stop her from declaring both of them perfect fools and firing off contemptuously, "If you can't hold your booze, _don't_ drink!"

Ultimately, they were forced on their feet, and they dragged after Team Hawk at a snail's pace. The landscape around them looked bleak and bleared beneath the overcast sky. Going hot and cold all over, Naruto listened to the clatter of his own teeth and hoped with all his heart that Sasuke felt as terrible as he did. The idea to keep away from alcohol until he was twenty-one might have had a point after all. Somehow, after the last night Naruto doubted that twenty-one would be a magic threshold, crossing which would make him like drinking.

"That's it!" Karin exclaimed all of a sudden. Her voice was loud, like nails drawn over glass. She stopped abruptly, eyes blazing behind the spectacles. "I'm calling a halt."

"No," Sasuke objected. He spoke for the first time since last night; every word seemed to have to fight its way out of his parched mouth. "We have no time anymore. We go on."

He swaggered and almost fell. Juugo held him in a vertical position. Sasuke coughed and shut his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead against Juugo's forearm.

"You are in no condition to stand, much less walk or run," Karin said dryly. "Suigetsu and I are going back to the town to refill the supply of water you two have drunk and hopefully find something to zap your hangover. You'll handle them, right, Juugo?"

The man nodded in detachment. As the two members of Team Hawk took off, Naruto flung himself on the shady patch of the ground beneath a tree a little farther from the road and screwed his eyes shut.

"You gotta admit," he said as he heard Sasuke lie down as well, "it was a bit of fun."

After a pause, there came a strained answer:

"Before or after we started vomiting our guts out?"

Naruto laughed in spite of the rising sickness. He couldn't have phrased it better.

* * *

_Sasuke c__omes to, lying on a grassy hillock, nothing but oceans of green and grey around. Passed out again. It seems so trivial, a hangover; he almost wants to laugh about it._

_He turns his head and spots Naruto resting a few metres away from him. He looks paler than usual, but overall, Sasuke believes, his system has taken less time to recover from the effects of alcohol._

_Sasuke doesn't really remember the previous night, and it __displeases him. He is reluctant to lose control of his actions; not knowing what he might have done while intoxicated equals… Sasuke flounders. He can't even finish his thought. _

_He vows never to drink again._

"_I've got this taste in my mouth__," Naruto draws out. "Yuck."_

"_Where's Juugo?" It is only now that Sasuke notices they are alone._

"_How s__hould I know? Gone to take a leak or something."_

_Anger boils within Sasuke, but it's so weak, so __innocuous that all he can do is ignore it. The world around him is falling apart. He watches the sun lurk behind the clouds (the curtain is thinning in places and the glares are quite conspicuous) and thinks of Naruto._

_It hits him all of a sudden like a mountainous wave: Naruto is gone. __Forever or not, so far it is indefinite; but he is not here, not in this world, he will not meet him at the gate of Konoha, he will not fight him, he will not yell at him, he will not–._

_Sasuke will have to make do with this new, unfamiliar Naruto. He is naïve and foolish to hold on to the face and the name and the voice, even if he knows that underneath it all this is a different person. That's what the last night was about. Forgetting it was a different person._

_Is the rest of the world really so blind? Sakura spent a week with him; didn't she notice? Gaara talked to him; was he so easy to fool as well? What about Kakashi, Tsunade, _anyone_ in that blasted village? Sasuke clings to this as to yet another reason to despise them. They could never see people for what they were. They failed to see Itachi and now they failed to recognize the fake Naruto._

_Sasuke doesn't know how he should treat him anymore. As a bystander, as a victim, as a thief, as a friend… To tear his deception down or to accept him and wait, wait for the real one to return._

_What if he never does?_

_It shouldn't matter._

_With a feeling he cannot quite place, Sasuke thinks about his own otherworldly counterpart. __Is he with Naruto now? Is he very different from Sasuke? Is he… _enough_ for Naruto?_

_It should not matter._

_Last night they sat on a roof (he remembers now) and Naruto was telling him something about himself. He doesn't remember what it was exactly, but he remembers the gentle sadness in his voice, the struggle not to care (on both their parts) and the strange, almost surprising realization that this person had crossed the worlds to battle his loneliness._

_And Sasuke felt so alone._

_He had no other world to escape to._

_He remembered then, seemingly for no reason, a brief moment of weakness in front of Sakura when he deigned her an explanation for his dogged determination to continue the survival training. Not 'I want to become a ninja'. Not 'We'll do this together'._

"There's a man only I can kill. That time… crying… I'm an avenger. I have to become stronger than him."

_In that other world, was it possible that things had turned out differently? He imagined his brother still being alive, still standing by him__. And maybe their parents, too. He wondered what it felt like to live without the word 'avenger' carved into his heart and mind._

"He gave you revenge as your goal,"_ Madara had said. _"In order to make you stronger. Since the day he left the village, he planned to fight you and die by your hand."

_Mild rushes of wind stroking his skin, Sasuke lies on the hillock and remembers the feeling that burnt in his chest last night._

_Jealousy.

* * *

_

"Kinda long for a leak," Naruto murmured, knitting his eyebrows in suspicion. "Do you think something happened?"

Sasuke willed himself to get up. Dizziness was almost gone.

"Did you tell him he could go?" he inquired. "While we were in no condition to defend ourselves?"

"I figured–."

"You do not command my men, Naruto. Never."

Naruto made a face.

"Speaking of your _men_, they've been gone for quite a while too."

The flick of Sasuke's hand made him pause. Sasuke looked wary, his eyes too dark and intent against his pale face. Naruto sniffed the air and caught a thick, familiar smell drawing nearer.

"Cloud," he whispered agitatedly and lifted one finger to indicate the number of enemies. One. That was quite presumptuous of the Kumogakure ninja.

The enemy turned out to be a bored-looking woman.

"Hey there, boys," she said in a deep voice that conveyed the same lack of emotion as her face. "I'll get down to business, okay? We can do this the easy way; that is, you come with me." She pointed towards Sasuke lazily; then her voice hardened. "Or the hard way."

"Oi, lady!" Naruto bristled. "How about you stop wasting our time?"

She looked at him, taking her eyes off of Sasuke for the first time. Something indefinite flashed in her eyes, like she couldn't make up her mind about Naruto. He composed his features into a more menacing expression.

"I have no business with you, blondie. You're free to go. Your friend, however," she pointed at Sasuke once more, surveying him like he was a bothersome bug, "is the one I need."

"You hurt my feelings," Naruto scowled, "choosing him over me!"

He reckoned he could have stepped aside like he had done during Sasuke's fight with Killer Bee. But he would only be fooling himself if he said he didn't care about Sasuke's well-being. That jerk hardly deserved it of course, but–.

Naruto attacked. The woman ducked. For all her feigned dullness, her movements were precise and swift. She jumped and ended up above him, raining shuriken down on him. Naruto whirled, blocking them. His gaze flicked to Sasuke who was just standing on the same spot, doing nothing.

Naruto performed Kage Bunshin no Jutsu; the clones dispersed and lunged at his opponent. She moved swiftly in zig-zag patterns. Naruto kept behind the attacking party as she eliminated the clones one by one. For a moment she was out of sight. He tensed and felt the tip of a kunai dip lightly into his artery.

"You're ridiculously easy to figure out, kid," the woman whispered into his ear. "You should have taken my offer. This isn't your battle–."

She fell quiet. Naruto's gaze darted towards Sasuke. He wasn't there. Dammit! That breathtaking speed of his again! Naruto could feel him at their enemy's back, probably pointing a kunai at her as well.

"I see you made up your mind," the woman scoffed.

"What do you want?"

"You took something from us. I want it back."

With a quiet _pop_, she vanished. Naruto and Sasuke spun around simultaneously and sprang aside, avoiding another volley of projectiles. Sasuke's eyes flashed red.

"And that is?" Naruto queried.

"I'm Samui, leader of Team Samui of the Hidden Cloud Village," a belated introduction followed. "Uchiha Sasuke, I want you to answer for what you did to our sensei Killer Bee!"

She jumped at them like a whirlwind, streaks of lightning slashing through the air. Sasuke unsheathed the Kusanagi; it came down on Samui but was blocked by her own sword.

"Killer Bee!" Naruto mouthed. "But… don't you have him?"

For the first time something close to amazement flashed across the woman's face.

"We hadn't seen him for a long time until we were told by the Raikage-sama that our sensei had been captured by that Akatsuki scum." Her lip curled in cold disdain. Her blade slid over the Kusanagi with a sharp clanking sound and she leapt back, taking a defensive stance.

Naruto scowled. "In that case, lady, you were misinformed. Last time we saw him, Killer Bee was safe and sound and pretty much free from any captivity."

"Is that true?" Samui demanded.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"A good question coming from someone who allies himself with the Akatsuki." She nearly spat the last word out. "My faith in the sensei never wavered. But I can't forgive you, Uchiha. Raiton! Four Pillar Binding!"

The pillars she summoned imprisoned Sasuke and bolts of electricity shot through them, restraining him. Sasuke fell to his knees, his breath coming out in forced gasps through clenched teeth.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried out.

His mind was racing. Sasuke's speed had decreased; he could barely fight back the attacks. Naruto, too, felt weakened, useless, but his adrenaline was pumping. He slammed his fist into the ground, causing chunks of soil to rise. Samui flashed him an apprehensive look. Naruto's lips curved into a smile. She got him pissed.

He released a necessary amount of chakra, just enough to cloak his body with a bubbling red aura. An ephemeral tail he was sporting crashed into the dirt, sending it in Samui's direction. A spiraling gust of wind lashed out towards the pillars, tearing them apart. The lightning cage fell, bluish sparks crackling noisily. Naruto ended up near Sasuke in one leap.

"No need to pretend around her, right?" he questioned with a wink.

Sasuke answered in a hoarse, pained voice: "She won't talk if she's dead."

Good. Just what he was hoping for.

He wagged his tail, stirring the wind up into the gale. It crashed upon the enemy and enveloped her, slashing at her body. Sasuke blew out jets of fire and sent them towards her too.

Samui collapsed. Her face and arms were covered in scarlet gashes; blood was beginning to crop up. Her chest heaved heavily with every breath she took. Naruto went down on all fours and snarled at her, his eyes flashing deep infernal red.

"If he's so important to you," he growled, "why are you wasting time on us? Maybe it's you he's running from! You and your stupid village!"

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was heavy with warning.

"What do _you_ know?" Samui spat.

Sasuke darted towards her, but her fingers moved at the speed of light, fluid and skillful. Blue light flared around her hands. She pressed her palms flat against the ground. An enormous bolt of lightning cut through the soil, dashing towards Naruto and Sasuke. The tip of the electric triangle nearly caught Sasuke in mid-flight. Naruto jumped, the red chakra around him growing stronger, thicker, forming a complete silhouette of the fox. Heat and power exploded all around them. A dense cloud of dust consumed Samui.

Naruto intercepted Sasuke in the air, causing him to land on top of him. Sasuke drew in a harsh breath, hands scorched by the contact with the searing chakra, but he held tight. Blazing fissures bore deep into the distorted ground.

In a few large leaps, Naruto escaped from the battlefield. His power gave out, and he collapsed. Sasuke rolled off of him. His eyes reverted to their faded black again; scarlet webbings of damaged blood vessels spread over the whites. His chest expanded with one constrained breath before he sank into oblivion.

Stripped of his cloak of demonic chakra, Naruto crawled up to him and wrapped his arms around him.

"Never gonna drink again," he muttered under his breath.


	11. Into Paralysis

**Title**: "No Major Harm"

**Author**: Shaitanah

**Rating**: R (overall)

**Timeline**: chapter 411+

**Summary**: Look inside you, they said. Naruto looked – and got a lot more than he bargained for. Canon meets AU… and they change places![Sasuke/Naruto] Please R&R!

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto _belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. _Naruto Pilot Chapter_ also belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. Lyrics and chapter title from _The Wounded Angel_ by Rg Gregory. Several quotes taken from _Naruto_ Chapter 403.

**A/N**: As usual I'm less than satisfied with this chapter, but I've been holding it long enough. Besides, it's Naruto's birthday, so have a heavily Naruto-centric chapter. XD Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews this story!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_**Into Paralysis**_

_are we martyrs heroes villains  
should we drop the thing and run  
will we be decorated or scolded  
- something new beneath the sun_

_**The City**_

Naruto covered his nose instinctively as he entered the smoke-filled reception room of the police station. It was difficult to see through puffs of smoke. Everyone was dashing to and fro hectically. Naruto sought out an officer that didn't seem too busy and stated his business.

A moment later he was propelled into a crowded office and, having narrowly escaped collision with two very lively and tank-like men, finally located Itachi. The elder Uchiha was barely visible from behind a huge pile of papers scattered chaotically all over it. A telephone cable wound all around him. The receiver was squeezed between his ear and his shoulder, a notepad clutched in his hand. He was running a pen over its sheet briskly, listening attentively to whatever the person on the other side was saying.

Naruto grinned at him. He would never have thought Uchiha Itachi could look funny.

"Yes, thank you very much," Itachi said, flashing Naruto a killing glance. "Have a nice day."

He hung up and practically fell out of the cable noose and onto a pile of books rising from the floor.

"Hi," Naruto said, trying to sound neutral and polite, but the merriment in his voice was painfully obvious.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked.

"Uhm… Did Sasuke tell you anything about… anything?"

Itachi cocked an eyebrow at that. "You mean your little trip to Asagiri and the part you played in it?" Naruto winced, causing Uchiha to chuckle. "No, he didn't. But your face just did."

Naruto scowled in indignation. He couldn't help it; his facial expressions were far too lively. So much for ninja being in control of their emotions.

"I was hoping you'd help me again," he changed the subject quickly. "There's a person I need to find, and there's no info in the information booth."

Itachi tore himself away from flipping through one of the volumes and spared him a stern glance.

"I thought I told you to stay away from that girl, Naruto-kun."

"No! No girls!" Naruto protested. "This one's very much a guy." Now _that_ came out… just wrong. The youth cleared his throat noisily. "So can I count on you?"

Something flashed through the smoke. Naruto craned out his neck and saw a crammed piece of paper land on Itachi's desk. Apparently it was a communiqué of a sort; Itachi unfolded it and hemmed thoughtfully as he read the contents. Having finished it, he nodded briskly at Naruto's request.

"We really are snowed under with work here," he said. "Let's get it over with. Give me the details."

"Well…" Naruto drew out, "he's presumably alive." That earned him an ironic, 'that's-already-something' kind of a glance. "And if he is, he's a little over fifty, got this crazy white hair and is probably a writer of… y'know, porn. The name's Jiraiya."

Itachi arched his eyebrows and chuckled, visibly relaxed.

"And here I thought this could be a challenge," he muttered on his way to another desk. Naruto followed him, confused.

Itachi rummaged through a crammed drawer and fished out a small orange book. Naruto's heart leapt. That was it! Could he really be alive in this world?

"You mean this Jiraiya, don't you?" Itachi clarified and tapped on the portrait on the backside of the cover.

Naruto snatched the book away from him and peered at it intently. It was a familiar _Icha Icha_ volume with slightly different ornaments on the cover. Naruto's face brightened into a sly smile. He never thought he would be so happy to see this particular book.

"He _is_ famous," Naruto exhaled.

"You bet he is. He was one of the Sannin, the human/demon power-based triumvirate. After the triumvirate ceased to exist at the end of the Last Great War, Jiraiya became a hermit. He was a police informer, too. Helped out on numerous occasions. Nowadays, however, he wants nothing to do with us."

Naruto snorted. It seemed Ero-sennin would always renounce publicity.

"Can I please have my book back if you are done worshipping it?" a soft, velveteen voice uttered right above his ear. A hand appeared seemingly out of nowhere and collected out of Naruto's grip. "Thank you."

Naruto spun around and gaped at the newcomer.

"Kakashi-sen…" he gasped before forcibly silencing himself. He had to remind himself this person was in fact a mere stranger who simply looked like his sensei.

Like almost everyone here, Kakashi bore a remarkable likeness to his otherworldly counterpart. The same wild silvery hair, the same mildly searching look, the mask over the lower part of his face… but two eyes. Both of his eyes were healthy and natural dark. There was no scar across the left one.

Kakashi chuckled at Naruto's befuddlement and let his gaze pass over to Itachi.

"A friend of yours?"

"Already leaving," Itachi said listlessly.

Naruto allowed himself to be hauled away rapidly, but he turned to cast one last look at Kakashi. The man was staring at him unblinkingly.

"Jiraiya can mostly be found in his own bookstore that sells mostly his own books," Itachi said, scribbling the address on a scrap of paper. "You know him?"

It took Naruto a moment to understand that he was talking about Kakashi. The youth shrugged.

"Thought I might."

"Stay away from him. He's a bit out of your league." Itachi handed him the paper. It remained clutched between his fingers as Naruto attempted to pull it out. "Not until you tell me what it is that you want with Jiraiya."

"Er… I'm a fan," Naruto grinned.

Itachi's face radiated no enthusiasm. He let go of the paper and returned to his business.

"Try not to get yourself in too much trouble, Naruto-kun," he said instead of good-bye as Naruto made it to the exit.

"Hey, you're not _my_ big bro!" the youth laughed. Itachi's reply surprised him:

"I might as well be, seeing as you're so hung up on Sasuke."

To Naruto's amazement, he failed to find any words of protest. After all, having somebody to look out for him in this unfamiliar world wasn't such a bad thing.

"Right," he said, if a tad peevishly. "But don't expect me to call you _Itachi-nii-chan_!"

* * *

The bookshop Jiraiya owned was lost in the maze of stone-clad alleys near the old centre of the city. Sun filtered through its high windows, trapped craftily in the facing of dark reddish wood. Naruto peered inside through the sparkling glass. The place seemed much bigger on the inside. The youth swallowed, overwhelmed by sudden uneasiness, and stepped in. The bell announced his coming.

The air was permeated with mingled scents of cinnamon, oil and old leather. Three massive shelves right in the centre of the shop were chock-full of _Icha Icha_ volumes and thus made a wild contrast to tall, sturdy bookcases that lined the walls. Naruto drew closer to the familiar orange and green books when a voice coming somewhere from above made him halt.

"Oi, how old are you?" the voice asked gruffly. "I'm not going to jail for corruption of minors, or whatever it is that they wanna fit me up, again!"

The steps of a winding staircase hiding in the corner of the shop creaked heavily. Naruto held his breath. Yes! It was Ero-sennin. Unchanged, the one he remembered so vividly. In spite of him, Naruto felt a biting sensation in his nose.

Jiraiya surveyed him with a moody gaze. His mouth twisted sourly.

"Oh, it's you."

"You know me?" Naruto gasped. It turned out the same way it had with Sakura-chan. Unable to believe his luck, Naruto sped up towards him.

"Of course I bloody well know you!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "I've had my share of dealings with your damned father. Serves him right to be where he is, that nine-tailed geezer. I'll tell you one thing, kid. Furries not welcome here. You best turn around and march right back to where you came from."

Naruto froze in mid-motion, his foot comically lifted, ready to make a step.

"I'm not my father," he protested cautiously.

Jiraiya's thunderous laughter filled the room.

"I can see that! You're the next best superstar, aren't ya? I say your father was a disgrace to all demonfolk! I don't know what on earth he thought he was doing but definitely nothing to earn him the status of a bloody martyr. Get out of my sight, kid, I'm not in the mood for unbidden guests!"

Naruto stared at him, dumbstruck. Jiraiya could be fearsome if he wanted to – and right now his intention was visible, if not palpable. Naruto took an instinctive step back.

His frantic gaze fell upon a small jade figurine of a frog that rested atop a pile of checks on the counter. He sniffed nervously and suddenly recognized the thick, clingy smell of oil that curled off Jiraiya. Frog oil.

"You're a demon!" he breathed. "No, really? You're a _demon_? A _frog_ demon!?"

"No way in hell," Jiraiya snorted. "I admire your perception skills, kid. Away with you, and be glad I only wish to remove you from my sight!"

A thought flashed in Naruto's mind. Insane, yes; but if there was any chance to get Ero-sennin's attention, he would make a run for it without a second thought. Naruto reached out for the oil and drew his chakra. Now or never. He had to prove this man he was worth his time.

The transition went smoothly. Naruto opened his red-rimmed eyes and caught the reflection of himself in the dim mirror just above the counter. He had entered the Sage mode. Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. His lips were compressed tightly, and an embittered crease marred the outline of his jaw.

"How did you know that?" he asked gravely.

"Myoubokuzan."

Jiraiya paled even more strikingly.

"Get out!" he thundered. "You dare steal the sacred secrets of Toad Senjutsu, and lie to my face! I thought you lot could sink no lower!"

"I didn't steal anything!" Naruto objected.

A viscous jet of oil hit him flat in the chest. It nearly blasted the door open and flung him out in the alley. He slipped out of the Sage mode and toppled over, grunting as ache spread through his body. The asphalt around him was wet and slippery.

Even Sasuke's rejection wouldn't hurt so much. To his shame, Naruto had to admit his eyes were slowly filling with tears.

"I just needed help," he said as he turned to walk away. "Guess you're not the right person after all."

He needed to figure out what to do now. He had hoped to find a person who would be as true to _his_ Ero-sennin's persona as much as Sakura and Sasuke here resembled their Konoha counterparts. He had hoped he would finally have someone to confide in. After all, that old man had always been there for him.

Naruto leaned against the wall of one of the house and tried to eliminate the sudden tremour that was causing his mouth to twist uncontrollably. Having blinked a few times, he noticed that his eyelashes were damp.

"What sort of help?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto's unfocused gaze wandered over the form that appeared next to him. The man must have followed him – but what for? Hadn't he made his disinterest obvious enough?

"None of your business," Naruto fired off. "I'll deal with it myself. Always have."

A hand grasped him by the shoulder forcefully. Wordlessly, Jiraiya dragged him back to the shop.

"I don't give a damn about it," he ascertained. "However, I am curious where the real Kyuubi kit is." Seeing Naruto's confused expression, the hermit burst out laughing. "Come on, kid! I'm not dumb! You know a demon when you see one if you're my age. I knew the Kyuubi and I can feel him in you, but only just. You're not the same."

Naruto smiled, relaxed. He would take that for a compliment. He wondered if Jiraiya would believe him if he told him the truth. Probably yes; he would believe anything. He was, after all, Jiraiya – and that did it.

Naruto started from the beginning, the story of the Kyuubi and its demise, the story of his own birth which he hardly knew any details of. He recounted briefly the first twelve years of his life and cut to the ninja training as part of Team Seven. He summarized the Chuunin exam, deliberately leaving out his meeting with Jiraiya, told him about Sasuke's defection and the two-and-a-half years of training away from Konoha. He mentioned the Akatsuki and Orochimaru and watched Jiraiya's eyes darken with sadness. Perhaps in this world they had still maintained better relationship until Orochimaru's death.

The story ended with Naruto coming to Myoubokuzan to train as the Toad Sage and his transfer into this world. After he finished, Jiraiya kept silent for a few minutes, his forehead wrinkled in thought.

"Parallel worlds, huh?" he said. "That's not something you hear every day. Now there's the question: where do I come into the picture?"

"Nowhere," Naruto replied hastily.

He had just lied, and for no reason, too. It gave him a sort of funny feeling to lie to Ero-sennin, but he couldn't bring himself to tell this stranger how much he meant to him… how much his death had affected him.

"You're… I mean, I heard about you. Powerful demon and all. Thought you might help."

Jiraiya cocked his head curiously. "What do you want me to do? I've heard this legend that parallel words do exist, but I'm not a magician. I can't open a door for you."

His words didn't come as a surprise to Naruto. He expected to hear something of the sort, so he simply smiled.

"You could complete my training. Teach me how to control the natural energy and all. Fukasaku must be mad that I've walked out on him. Though technically it's not my fault, but rather, it is his."

"I've never taught anyone in my entire life," Jiraiya grumbled. "But something tells me this might be fun."

Secretly, Naruto was really glad to hear it before it occurred to him to use Sexy no Jutsu on the man once again.

Three hours later, having cleaned up the oily mess, fixed the door and swept all the floors in the shop that turned out to be far bigger than it seemed, Naruto felt almost angry with himself. It looked like Ero-sennin needed a house-slave. Asking him to take Naruto as his apprentice was but entering a lion's den.

"Oi! Ero-sennin!" Naruto fumed. "If you wanted me to make this rathole look more presentable, you could have just said so! No need to masquerade it as part of my training."

Jiraiya frowned slightly at the nickname and ruffled his hair, laughing at the pouty grimace that appeared on Naruto's face. His sly eyes appeared to be saying, 'You asked for it.'

Naruto picked the broom up and continued sweeping. A small smile flashed across his lips. Regardless of it all, it felt good to spend time with this person again.

* * *

Three days into his training, Naruto thought he was ready to kill Jiraiya himself. The man had always had a scary sense of humour (like throwing him off a cliff to make him draw the Nine-Tails' chakra; knowing Fukasaku, Naruto could guess where it came from), but his level of sadism clearly went overboard in this case.

Cleaning out the bathroom that hadn't been cleaned for ages!..

Drenched in some suspicious substance and completely worn out, Naruto lowered himself on the porch of his condo and stared blankly in no particular direction. Perhaps this led to just another dead end. He really hoped this training would get him out of this world; things had become complicated recently.

He glanced up at Sasuke's house. The windows were dark. They hadn't had a proper conversation since their return from Asagiri. Maybe he should…

Naruto got up, rubbing his palms against his trousers hurriedly. He crossed the street – and then turned away and walked down towards the egress.

The night was clear and starry. Roaming the city streets alone under the streaming light of street-torches made Naruto feel much better and put a smile back on his face. He even managed to forget his weariness. When the scent of seawater and algae crashed over him, Naruto knew he had come to the docks.

Itachi. Yes, he would talk to Itachi.

Even though it seemed like a good idea to him, Itachi was inclined to disagree. At least he didn't hasten to open the door. Naruto leaned against it and continued rapping with his foot until he caught sight of a man approaching him from the far side of the hall. The light fell dimply upon his face, and Naruto recognized Itachi with a start. Ah… so he simply wasn't home! That… explained a lot.

"Why am I not surprised?" Itachi drew out, turning the key in the keyhole. He carried a paper bag from a grocery shop and looked rather tired. "To what do I owe the dubious pleasure of seeing you on my doorstep yet _again_?"

Naruto laughed. "I really am yanking your chain, aren't I?"

The lamp light flickered on. Itachi walked straight to the kitchen and proceeded to distribute the products over the shelves and the sections of the fridge quickly. Come to think of it, his habits resembled Sasuke's quite strikingly. Naruto couldn't help but wonder if the two were as similar in his world.

"I wanted to thank you," Naruto said. "For helping me find Jiraiya. And… you know, you're not half the bad guy I thought you might be."

"That's really touching."

Itachi emerged from the kitchen, smiling moderately. Naruto knitted his eyebrows.

"I'm trying to be nice here! You could be a little more helpful." To this, Itachi merely chuckled again. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, looking elsewhere. The situation was getting awkward. He forgot why he had come. Oh, right, Sasuke… Well, this could wait. "I'll be on my way then," he murmured. "Thanks for… you know."

He turned to the door, wishing to leave before this strange feeling consumed him completely. He was sincerely grateful to Itachi. Perhaps he could even call him a friend. It wasn't what he would have chosen; but he liked the feeling.

A scrap of paper on the floor caught his attention. Naruto squatted. It was stuck between the floorboards; he fished it out and brought closer to his eyes. It turned out to be a torn paper packet, like the ones for sugar from cafes, and it was marked with a familiar tomoe seal, black against the crimson background. Naruto frowned.

He glanced at Itachi over his shoulder to make sure the man wasn't monitoring his actions. There were traces of red powder inside the packet. Naruto licked a few grains off his finger. Tasteless. Sugar wasn't supposed to be tasteless; neither did it come in red.

"Since you're here anyway," Itachi's voice came, "there is something I want you to see. Why don't you open that door and have a look inside?"

Naruto's gaze darted up. His fingers touched the wall and traced it; the movement was instinctive and didn't quite register. Naruto crept closer. There was a door in the wall. A secret door. He hooked it with his nail and pulled it open. It turned out to be unlocked.

Behind it, there was a small cupboard. Naruto reached inside it and shivered uncontrollably as his hand fisted a handful of fabric. He pulled it out. It was a black cloak adorned with red clouds.

"I _knew_ it!" Naruto exclaimed, turning around to find Itachi watching him attentively. "You are one of them! The Akatsuki! You're working for them!"

"Keep your voice down," Itachi said calmly. "Yes, I am."

Taken aback, Naruto gaped at him. His mind was racing. Did Sasuke know about this? No, of course, he didn't; otherwise he wouldn't be so naïve to believe his brother was a good guy! The Akatsuki existed in this world, too. What was their goal? Was it the same: to collect the tailed beasts? Naruto's blood ran cold. Then… this must have been a trap.

"I'm an undercover agent," Itachi went on. "Part of the operation the Special Ops Department is conducting. It is my assignment to work for the Akatsuki."

Naruto's breath hitched. Assignment?

He tensed involuntarily as Itachi approached him and took the cloak out of his grip. He placed it back into the cupboard and slammed the door shut. The sharp sound almost had Naruto jumping up.

"Why should I believe you?" the youth spat.

"Because I'm telling you the truth." Oh yes, killer logic! "How much do you know about the Akatsuki?" When Naruto didn't reply, Itachi continued, his face impenetrable: "I tried to keep you away from them as hard as I could, but I should have known it would be futile. They have been searching for you for so long. I found you before they did, but your little feat near Area 5 certainly caught their attention."

Itachi's gaze lingered on Naruto's bewildered face. He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"What's the matter? Don't you know they are after you?"

Naruto didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. Such bitter irony! Yet again their worlds collided so dramatically. Except… Itachi didn't really fit into the picture.

"You…" Naruto breathed. "You're protecting me. Why?"

"It is my job." And then, quietly, "And because Sasuke is my responsibility."

'Sasuke would probably sell me to the Akatsuki now, given the circumstances,' Naruto thought grimly. However, that didn't stop him from asking for more information on the local Akatsuki.

They were all human. Accelerated, more powerful than the rest, but nonetheless, human. Itachi kept the copies of their dossiers neatly catalogued in a secret vault in his bookcase. Seeing those familiar faces, a few of them crossed out as deceased, gave Naruto an uneasy feeling.

"They are friends to no one," Itachi noted. "They stand against all fractions, seeking only power. Right now the Bijuu is what can give them that power."

"But I'm not–," Naruto muttered – and then it struck him. They thought he was its – _his_ – son. And after the Kyuubi he was… 'The next best superstar,' Jiraiya had sarcastically called him.

Well, _shit_.

Naruto's jaws clenched. They would never get him! Neither in this world, nor in his. He would personally see to their downfall. Not right now, however. First he needed to process all the information. Having remembered about the packet still clutched in his hand, he held it out to Itachi questioningly.

"What's this?"

"Sharingan," Itachi answered without delay.

"What!?"

"It's a synthetic drug. It heightens the perception and changes the eyes of the one using it. It allows one to read speedy movement, cast illusions, and so much more. However, it is easy to overdose on."

"Do you take it?"

"Like I said, every member of the Akatsuki is special. This is my specialty." He took the packet out of Naruto's hand, placed it on the empty tray on the table and set it ablaze. It turned into a pile of ashes within a few moments. "The night I got shot, I had taken the Sharingan. It dissolves in the blood within twenty-four hours. I had to wait it out. My supervisor is the only person aware of my taking it. Naruto-kun, I can't risk Sasuke finding out about this."

Naruto nodded, dazed. Of course he would keep his mouth shut. It was bad enough to have Sasuke mixed up in the Akatsuki business back in his world.

He left Itachi wordlessly, but couldn't bring himself to go straight back home. He roamed the streets till dawn, puzzling over the present situation. Why would Itachi let him in on this now? What did he want from him?

Naruto clenched his teeth. Just who was this Itachi? His mind supplied the memory of their last conversation back home.

'_I only wish to talk to you.'_

He could hear the rustling of crow feathers…

'_You said you thought of Sasuke as a brother. Well, I'm asking you what you'd do if Sasuke were to attack Konoha.'_

The mesmerizing glint of the Sharingan, the real Sharingan born from the blood of Uchiha's ancestors.

'_If that should happen, would you be able to stop him? Could you weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha__?'_

Naruto strained his memory. He had replayed that event over and over in his head ever since that day, but couldn't find the hidden meaning of Itachi's words. His voice seemed muffled, as though reaching Naruto's ears through a wall.

'_You are such a child… You talk of nothing but pipe dreams.__ There are times when a ninja must make painful choices.'_

And that had brought memories of another strange conversation. With a stinging sensation of surprise Naruto had realized how much Itachi reminded him of Jiraiya back then.

'_I won't go back on my words. That's what being a ninja means to me!'_ he had declared proudly… and Itachi had smiled. Yes; Naruto was absolutely sure of it now.

The Akatsuki had smiled gently at him.

The raw, scratching sensation of crow feathers slipping down his throat. Naruto had choked on them.

'_I've given you some of my power…'_

Naruto leaned against a wooden fence on the outskirts of the city. He was far from home, but that wasn't what bothered him at the moment.

Could Itachi's death have been… a mistake? The realization that dawned upon him was horrible. What if somehow, by some twisted, improbable misfortune, Uchiha Itachi was not what everyone thought he was?

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. There was no point in thinking about it. Itachi was dead, and it was up to him to keep this man from dying again in this world.

* * *

Come morning, Naruto was dead-set on having that blasted conversation with Sasuke. He failed to comprehend who was avoiding who and for what reason exactly; it was high time they broke the enchanted circle of stupidity.

Sasuke wasn't home.

Of course. Just when Naruto needed him so badly, the bastard wasn't home. No problem, though: Naruto would just wait for him. He lowered himself on the porch and scanned the street briefly. Empty. An ordinary morning, a bit bleak and chilly but that was to be expected at this time of year. A kid riding a bicycle passed by, straight across a puddle. Splashes of turbid water swirled all around him for a moment like a halo.

Naruto's fingers strummed a light tune over the wooden flooring.

Sasuke showed up in a few hours. He looked tired as if he hadn't slept for a long time. Naruto spied him when he was still pretty far from the house. He walked in long, steady strides, trying to break away from an old wrinkled man that refused to let him go. Naruto frowned. He couldn't hear what the old man was saying, but he looked desperate. He even resorted to grabbing Sasuke by the forearm and was roughly thrown backwards as a result.

Sasuke looked really annoyed by the time he had made it to his porch.

"What was that about?" Naruto queried.

Sasuke shoved the key in the keyhole and turned it forcibly. The lock gave in only after a few failed attempts. Naruto looked back and saw the old man's form near the street-torch.

"He's been harassing me for days," Sasuke explained. "Wants me to rid his family of some curse and won't take no for an answer."

He pushed the door open and barged into the hall. Naruto followed him. It was the first time Sasuke actually let him pass further than the hallway. His flat was clean, almost featureless, very unlike Itachi's. It might as well have been uninhabited if not for a pair of thick green candles near a standard mirror on the wall and a picture frame between them. It showed only the brothers, without the parents, and it wasn't visible from the bed.

"Why don't you help him?" Naruto asked, forcing his attention back to the present issue. "Is it difficult?"

"On the scale from one to ten, ten being the hardest, I'd rate it three."

"Three!?" Naruto gaped at him. "Then why–?"

"He doesn't have any money. I told you: I don't work for free."

"But you purged the entire village! That was absolutely free. They didn't even know it was you!"

Sasuke turned to face him and said in a steely voice:

"I have principles, Naruto. You might not like it, but that's the way it is with me. There are fixed prices for everything; if the guy can't pay, it's not my problem. But if he pays me, his family will eventually die of hunger."

"Better the curse then?" Naruto asked in dismay. "You could break your stupid rules once!"

Money had never been Sasuke's priority. _His_ Sasuke, that is. Naruto compressed his lips, embittered. Coping with two opposite aspirations: to get home and to fix this world's problems – was hard enough without Sasuke complicating things even further.

"You can hate me for it," Sasuke said listlessly. "That geezer can hate me for it. So can the entire world, for all I care. I won't change my mind."

Naruto barely had time to blink before he found himself chucked out. The door slammed shut behind him. He balled his fists, and it was only then that he remembered that he had wanted to discuss something else with Sasuke.

'Bummer.'

* * *

"You seem quiet today," Sakura observed. They were sitting on the back of a park bench, cherry choc-ice melting sweetly on their tongues. By all standards it was a beautiful day, but there was too much on Naruto's mind. He felt a little guilty for exposing Sakura to his afflictions.

"Say, Sakura-chan…" he mumbled hesitantly. "If you had to go against your principles to help someone, would you do it?"

Sakura scrutinized him, her eyes reflecting mild surprise.

"It depends… Is it a bad person?"

"No, I don't think so," Naruto replied, recalling the pitiful expression on the old man's face.

"Do I have to kill someone? Or lie to someone dear to me?"

"Er… no, nothing of the sort."

"Then what's the problem?"

Naruto slumped his shoulders and sighed, depressed. He had foreseen her answer would be like that. His point of view exactly. Why couldn't Sasuke see it this way?

Sakura touched his shoulder reassuringly and leaned closer to kiss him. Naruto responded absent-mindedly, his mind lost between the shocking revelations about Itachi and the memories of the last hunt's conclusion that had resurfaced all of a sudden.

Sasuke…

Naruto pulled away abruptly, as if scalded. Sakura blinked in surprise, but chose not to press him for an explanation. They lingered on the bench until all ice-cream was consumed and then headed slowly in no particular direction. Little by little the silence around them bled from heavy to warm, and Naruto almost forgot about his worries when all of a sudden he was greeted by a familiar female voice:

"Hello, sweetheart."

His gaze darted up, entraining into a pair of dark, mischievous eyes. The last time he saw her, she had been scared out of her mind. Now she was smiling as she approached him freely, her hips swaying lightly.

"Kin."

Sakura tensed near him. Naruto felt her fingers creep up his arm and wrap around his forearm.

"Naruto, who is this?"

"Don't you worry, doll," Kin laughed throatily. "I'm not here to steal your boy." Her eyes remained fixed on Naruto. Suddenly she looked far more serious. "If you know who I am, you know who I work for. She wants to see you."

He was about to tell her to get lost when a thought flashed in his mind. Perhaps it would be useful to get to know the halfbloods better. If anything, he wanted to know if they were affiliated with the Akatsuki and what purpose they wanted him for.

He turned to Sakura and asked her to wait for him at home. She looked averse to this idea, but he didn't give her the chance to protest. He couldn't afford being talked out of it.

Kin took him to an old warehouse surrounded by an entire maze of streets, somewhere in the industrial part of the city. It was very quiet inside. Naruto thought he didn't like the place at all,

"And she is?.." he trailed off, uncertain how to phrase the question.

"Nibi," Kin said. "That's all you need to know. She's like you, of pure blood. The Two-Tailed Demon Cat."

Naruto's jaw dropped. He had never met another Jinchuuriki except Gaara, or another Bijuu except Shuukaku for that matter (and that experience hadn't exactly been pleasant); curiosity was about to get the best of him.

"I thought purebloods didn't associate with… you know."

"Nibi's different," Kin said with conviction. "She's the one who can put an end to this strife. Now, there are certain rules you'd better follow when talking to her. Don't interrupt her; you don't want to get on her bad side. Don't try to see her face; she never shows it to outsiders. Not many of ours have seen it."

Naruto frowned. She didn't sound like a trustworthy leader to him. He had been opposed to the idea of Tsunade taking leadership of the Leaf Village when he learnt she was hiding her true age. Compared to Nibi, her deceit was innocent.

"That's hypocrisy," he said pointedly.

Kin objected softly: "You wouldn't be saying this when you met her."

The wait was getting unnerving.

"Yeah, well, where is she?"

"Over here."

The voice came unexpectedly from above. Naruto's gaze flickered upwards. Shadows glided beneath the high ceiling like gusts of smoky wind.

"You're Nibi?" Naruto inquired, a touch of disbelief in his voice.

She remained but a dark shape to him, clean-cut and petite, clad in a simple office blouse and a pair of carmine trousers. He couldn't see her face; dark shadows swirling around her head prevented him from doing it.

"What did you expect?" she purred. "A vinyl bondage suit and fake whiskers?"

"The latter's hardly necessary since I can't see your face anyway."

Kin shot him a warning glare. Someone stirred in the dark corners of the building. A gun cocked. However, Nibi appeared to be amused by his insolence.

"I'm very sorry about this, Naruto-kun," she said. "Much as I should like to be completely open to you, I have reasons to maintain secrecy. One day, perhaps…"

She drew closer, making him wonder if those shades were artificial for they continued smoking around her. Her hair swayed lightly as she walked, but he couldn't tell the colour. Every move she made betrayed breathtaking poise and elegance. She was indeed very reminiscent of a young agile cat.

Nibi's voice was deep, husky, her intonations hard to read. If cats talked, Naruto thought, it was exactly the kind of a voice they had.

"I'm delighted to finally meet you, Uzumaki Naruto," Nibi said. "It's a difficult time for creatures like us. There is a lot we need to discuss. I could use someone like you in my ranks. What do you say?"

Naruto gaped at her, struggling to hold back the laughter.

"Are you suggesting I work for you or something? Sorry. I'll pass."

As much as it flattered him to be recognized as an awesome shinobi (demon, he mentally corrected himself, awesome demon), he would never even regard this offer. Their wars had nothing to do with him, and he intended to keep things that way. He headed for the exit resolutely, only to be stopped by a pair of Nibi's guards, a man and a woman, both of them wearing animalistic ANBU-like masks.

"Your father is a legend," Nibi addressed him. "Some view him as a hero, others call him a traitor but of course he did what he thought was best for his people. Too bad his death didn't change so much. It's time for the new Kyuubi to rise, and I could help you there. Bring peace and prosperity to all. Wouldn't you want that?"

"Even if I did care," Naruto said slowly, "why should I ally myself with you? You hide in the shadows while sending your followers out to die or be tortured. You're scared to show your face, but you still expect faith and loyalty. Faith only goes so far. You're the lowest kind of scum, and I'm not your dumb hired muscle. Sorry, lady, it won't work between us."

The female guard tensed like she was about to spring into attack. Her partner gestured at her vaguely to keep still. She froze, her spine perfectly straight, and scrutinized Naruto through the eyeholes of her mask.

A gentle chuckle was heard. Naruto glanced back over his shoulder. Nibi was laughing.

"You'll come back," she said with conviction. "Surely I have something you need." Just as he made it to the door, she added softly, "It's not just you the Akatsuki are after."

She was already gone when he spun around.

The setting sun smeared traces of red and orange over the rapidly darkening sky. Once out of the warehouse, Naruto felt the angry tension seep out of his system. People like Nibi irritated him. She was worse than Orochimaru; at the very least that one had not hidden behind anyone's back.

"You're lucky, I guess," Kin observed as she left the warehouse as well and came to stand next to Naruto who was watching the road solemnly. "She wouldn't have anyone else talk to her like that."

"You can't know she's for real if you don't even see her," Naruto mused. "Why are you here?"

"She set me free," Kin answered promptly. "Dosu, Zaku and I, we were Orochimaru's test subjects. You've heard of him, haven't you? That's right, everyone has." She wrinkled her nose, as if to hold back a snort. "Eventually he made us his recruit team. For good behaviour, I suppose. One day my team was sent to retrieve someone who Nibi was also after. We fought her and lost, but she didn't finish us off. She tended to our wounds and told us she could use people like us. All three of us were halfblood outcasts; we had little to none alternative in this world. Anything's better than Orochimaru, though. In time we've come to appreciate Nibi's ideals. She's a Bijuu fighting side by side with those who both humans and demons call impure. You're wrong about her, Naruto-kun. She's no coward or hypocrite. I believe in her, and so will you."

Naruto looked away. Beautiful words indeed, but they had no purpose if there was nothing to back them up.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said quietly. "I was worried about you."

Kin's eyes grew slightly wider. She turned wordlessly and vanished back into the mouth of the warehouse.

* * *

"Absolutely not," Itachi cut Naruto's speech short.

"Why not?"

"It's a serious business, not a street fight. Special Ops have more than enough men working on it."

"So I'm what? A hindrance? A street urchin?"

Itachi's fingers constricted around the pen he was holding. He looked up at Naruto with sleepless eyes and smiled softly.

"You can't deny that you're seriously lacking experience in this area. You have seen my brother work, but the way police handles things is different from the way hunters do."

Naruto gritted his teeth. So Uchiha didn't take him seriously. All right; he would show him how serious he was!

He leaned on the table and drawled:

"What if I get you Nibi?"

Itachi eyed him unblinkingly. "Nibi? _The_ Nibi?"

"Yes!" Naruto fired off. And they called him blockhead…

Itachi folded his arms across his chest. At the moment he suddenly reminded Naruto of Iruka-sensei on the verge of having a nervous breakdown after another one of Naruto's pranks. The resemblance was so striking that Naruto half-expected a lot of yelling and nosebleed. Instead, Itachi said coolly:

"Do it, and I'll talk to my supervisors."

He didn't believe it was possible. Naruto grinned.

"Should be piece of cake. I think she likes me. See, last time we had a chat–."

Bull's eye! Itachi narrowed his eyes, seemingly appraising him. Oh, that was easier than Naruto dared hope!


End file.
